What Goes Up
by The Lilac Elf of Lothlorien
Summary: AU! Teen!Chesters! With Yellow Eyes dead, John gets his sons settled down for a normal life. But the apple pie life comes with unforseen complications and the three Winchesters learn that the hunt will never really be over for them. Rating for safety.
1. Chapter 1

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I am not avoiding updating my other stories. Well, sort of. I'm waiting for the season finale of NCIS before doing the next chapter of 'What Should Have Been' and I'm working on my Harry Potter rewrites while trying to figure out how to write the next chapter of 'And Fi Makes Three' which is supposed to cover the SPN episode 'Jump the Shark'.

I'm also working on my HP fic, 'The Potter Family Curse'.

I don't know why I'm starting another project now, other than it's been in my head for a while and when it comes to writing, you can really tell I'm A.D.D.

STORY SUMMARY: The Winchesters manage to kill Azaezal (Yellow-Eyed Demon) when Dean is 13 and Sam is 9. John decides that it's time to hang up his guns and start a new life with his sons. But for the Winchesters, nothing ever works out as planned and their new lives come with new complications. John tries to balance being a REAL federal agent with continuing helping out his fellow hunters. Sam has a crush on the daughter of his father's best friend, and Dean finds a girlfriend with secrets and problems of her own.

Remember to read, review, and show your love!

* * *

><p>SUPERNATURAL: What Goes Up…<p>

(AU crossover w/NCIS)

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><p>While at first there had been hasty celebrations after killing the yellow-eyed demon, after a while John Winchester realized that he was suddenly faced with an unexpected problem.<p>

On the one hand, he knew the monsters and evil that was still out there and he knew that it needed to be stopped. But on the other hand, he'd become a hunter solely to find Mary's killer and he'd done that. Surely that meant he could hang up his guns, right?

More than his own conflicts, John was also thinking about his sons. 9-year-old Sammy had just recently learned about what was really out there and Dean—older than Sam by 4 years—was starting to get used to the whole demon hunting thing.

But now, maybe the boys could have a normal life after all.

Sitting alone in the '67 Chevy Impala that he, Sam, and Dean had called home for the past 8 years in the driveway of an abandoned house, John wondered what he should do now. At the very least, he knew had to get the boys settled down somewhere and into school again. That was Priority 1. The rest, he supposed, he'd figure out somewhere down the line.

As John thought about all the contacts and associates he'd found over the years, he wondered if any of them might be able to help. Of course, there was always his old Marine buddy, Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Gibbs had a daughter about Sam's age and maybe he could help John figure out what to do with himself.

* * *

><p>Despite what his father kept saying, Dean Winchester was sure that soon, he, his father, and his little brother, Sam, would be back on the road and out of this town.<p>

Besides, this was Washington, DC, for crying out loud! Monsters and demons would have to be insane to come here.

Going to his assigned locker at his new school, Dean wondered how long he'd be stuck here. There was absolutely nothing worth staying for anyway. After grabbing his books, he turned and promptly bumped into another student. "Sorry," he muttered, grabbing up the books that had fallen and handing what he thought were… Dean looked up and blinked at the girl standing in front of him.

Her light brown—almost blonde—hair was short and curly and her eyes were the color of a clear blue sky. "Are you okay?" she asked, cautiously, as she noticed that Dean was staring.

"Yeah," Dean stammered, wishing he sounded cooler. After a moment he gave the girl a grin and added, "I'm Dean."

The girl smiled in return and replied, "I'm Corey. Nice to meet you, Dean." Without another word, she turned and headed down the hallway towards her class.

Dean grinned as he headed in the opposite direction. Maybe this place wouldn't be so bad after all.

x

As he sat down in English class, Dean suddenly realized that he had the wrong books. Muttering a curse under his breath, he wondered how he could track down that Corey girl and get his stuff back.

As Dean listened to the teacher droning on about grammar and some other nonsense, he thought about the death of the demon that had killed his mother.

It had been a random fluke that they'd been able to track the thing at all and after figuring out where it would pop up next, John had made a slight detour to visit a man named Elkins before going for a final showdown.

Thinking to a few days later when his dad had told him that it was over, Dean found it all a little hard to believe. Was his father really going to abandon hunting and go live some normal life? Truth be told, Dean was a little happy about the whole thing if only for Sammy's sake. Maybe now the kid wouldn't have to worry about what was out there in the dark.

But Dean couldn't adapt to civilian life so easily. He'd been in this since he was 4 years old and the habits his father had engrained in him wouldn't be lost easily. Just that morning on the way to school, he'd asked his dad how long they'd be here this time.

John had replied that they wouldn't be leaving this time. That they were finally going to be able to settle down and be a family. _"Just like your mother would have wanted us to be,"_ he'd said before dropping Dean off at Hardy Middle School.

But try as he might, Dean just couldn't see it. He couldn't imagine his father working a normal 9-to-5 job, wearing a suit and sitting in an office. And Dean couldn't see himself actually finishing school, graduating college, and living some normal, apple pie life.

The only one who had any hope of being normal was Sammy. He was young and innocent enough that just maybe he could find a way to be something other than a hunter.

When he finally got back to his locker after science class, Dean found a note taped to his locker door. Opening it, he read, _"Mrs. Lansky has your books. Just leave mine with her and I'll get them later. Corey._

_P.S.: 202-188-7921"_

Dean smiled as he recognized the DC area code. Corey had given him her phone number and they'd barely even talked. Man, was Sammy going to be impressed by this!

* * *

><p>Corey Adler wanted to kill her twin sister, Casey.<p>

Well, maybe not kill. Their parents would probably frown on that, but definitely hurt.

"You gave him my phone number?" Corey said as the two girls sat in the back corner of the cafeteria during lunch.

"I thought you said you liked him, Casey asked, wondering what the big deal was.

"I just said he was cute," Corey replied, quietly, as she absently rubbed the top of her left cheek with the side of her index finger.

"It's hardly noticeable today, Cor," Casey assured her twin, knowing that Corey was thinking about the rash across her cheeks and nose.

"It's always noticeable," Corey grumbled, dejectedly.

Casey didn't say anything, knowing that it wouldn't help a lick.

* * *

><p>The Impala rumbled quietly as John sat at a red light on the way to Jethro's house. How strange it would be not to have to live out of this car. Maybe he could give it to Dean when the kid turned 16. Besides, Dean had learned how to drive last year and he was pretty good, if not a bit of a speed demon.<p>

When the light turned green, John started forward, slamming on the brakes suddenly as a van careened through the red light and was hit by an oncoming truck. Shutting off the engine, John jumped out quickly and hurried over the van, shocked as he saw a bullet hole in the driver's head. Hearing groans from the backseat and passenger seat, he was horrified to see that the woman was Jethro's wife, Shannon.

"Someone call 911!" John shouted at one of the onlookers before going to the back of the van and wrenching open the door. Climbing inside, he checked on the little girl—Crap, what was her name? Kate? Karen? Kelly! "Kelly," He said, hoping the girl wasn't dead.

"Daddy?" Kelly moaned, barely conscious.

John immediately started checking the kid for injuries. "My name's John," he said, gently. "I'm going to help you, okay?"

"Where's my mommy?" Kelly said, softly, whimpering as John felt her stomach.

"She's right up front," John said, reassuringly, mentally cursing as he detected a broken rib and possible internal bleeding.

His time in the Marines, plus the years spent hunting, had helped him hone the skill of detecting injuries and he knew that Kelly needed a doctor immediately for the internal injuries and probably for the injuries to her right arm as well.

When he carefully felt Kelly's spine, John paused at the girl's lower back. Looking at Kelly, he said in as comforting a voice as he could, "Kelly, I need you to stay as still as you can, okay?"

"It hurts," Kelly cried.

The memory of Dean's first hunt-related injury flashed in John's mind without warning. "_It hurts, Dad!" Dean cried, holding his leg, his right ankle already swelling._

"I know it does, honey," John replied. "But you need to stay as still as you can, okay? Don't even move your head. I'm going to check on your mom."

John could hear sirens approaching as he tried to keep Shannon conscious, looking in the back and checking on Kelly as well.

When the paramedics came, John quickly stepped aside, watching as they took care of Shannon and Kelly Gibbs.

"Sir?"

John turned, feeling the adrenaline rush start to wear off. He saw a pair of metro cops standing there and said, "Yes?"

"We need you to make a report, sir," the older officer said, pulling out a notebook.

John nodded, giving the police his name and statement. When the cops were satisfied for the moment, he went back to the Impala and headed for the nearest hospital, hoping Jethro's family would make it.

* * *

><p>Sam waited for nearly an hour for his dad to come pick him up. He could feel the stares from the teachers, could almost hear the usual questions: Where's your father? Is someone picking you up? Where do you live? Is there a number we can call?<p>

"Hey, Sammy."

Looking up, Sam saw Dean walking up to him, grinning. "Where's Dad?" he asked, looking around. "He was supposed to be here an hour ago."

"That, uh… old friend of his?" Dean said, offering a hand to help his brother up from where he'd been sitting on the curb. "The guy's family was in an accident. Dad's at the hospital with them. He called my school and left a message with the assistant principal that I needed to come get you."

As they started down the street, Sam asked, "Are they going to be okay?" When Dean gave him a puzzled look, he went on. "Dad's friend. Is his family going to be okay?"

"Don't know," Dean answered, honestly, as he and his brother headed down the street.

"Dean?" Sam asked, thinking.

"What's up, Sammy?" Dean asked.

"Can we go to the hospital instead of back to the house?" Sam wanted to know.

Dean thought about that for a moment. Dad had left specific instructions for them to go home. But at the same time, Dean really wanted to know that Dad was okay. "Sure, Sammy. Let's go."

* * *

><p>As soon as he saw his sons, John's first inclination was to reprimand the boys for not following orders. But that didn't last long, and he had to admit that he was happy to see his boys, both of whom seemed to have managed to get through their first day at a new school without getting into any fights.<p>

Dean looked a little sheepish when he saw his father's look and was therefore surprised when his dad pulled both Dean and Sam into a hug.

"You okay, Dad?" Dean asked, caught off guard by the sudden display of affection.

"I'm fine, Dean," John assured him. Sitting down so he was facing the boys, he sighed. "I'm sorry about what I did to you boys. Finding the thing that killed your mother was _my_ fight, and I shouldn't have dragged you and Sam along."

"What was the alternative, Dad?" Dean asked, not believing that his father was apologizing.

"I don't know," John admitted. After a moment, he smiled and added, "But that's all behind us, okay? Fresh starts, all around."

"So… no more hunting?" Dean asked, sounding disappointed. "No more monsters?"

John wanted to stress the point to Dean that he could finally have a normal life. But he also knew that his older son was a fighter first. Dean was as good with a gun or a knife as any of the Marines John had served with and was a pretty scrappy fighter. But how could he get Dean to understand that there was a life to be lived that didn't involve monsters?

Digging a few dollars out of his pocket, John handed the money to Sam and told him to hit the vending machines for a snack and a soda.

With his little brother out of earshot, Dean's expression turned grim as he expected a verbal beat-down. What he didn't expect was his father putting a hand on his shoulder and saying, "I'm so sorry, Dean."

"For what?" Dean asked, confused.

"I made you grow up to fast," John replied, feeling tears in his eyes. "Ever since your mom died you seemed to decide that it was your job to take care of Sammy _and _me. It should have been the other way around." Squeezing his son's shoulder, he said, "It's okay, Dean. I'm proud of you."

Dean had always looked to his father to know how to act. He saw his father be tough and knew that that was how he had to be. And now he saw his dad being human, tears in his eyes, and telling his that it was all going to be okay. Like it was okay to let the walls down sometimes.

John let the tears go as soon as Dean hugged him and wrapped his arms around his son. And for the first time in years, life started to feel good again.

* * *

><p>Shannon and Kelly were alive.<p>

As Jethro Gibbs drove from Quantico to the hospital, those words were what he clung to.

It was a month since he'd heard about the accident and although he'd wanted to get home as soon as possible, Gibbs had been needed in Iraq and it would be a few weeks before he could get home.

Georgetown University Hospital was in a rare lull when Gibbs arrived and he went over to the front desk and said, "I'm looking for my wife and daughter. They were brought in about a months ago but I couldn't get here any—"

"Jethro?"

Gibbs turned and ran over to Shannon, grabbing her around the middle as she threw her arms around his neck. He picked her up and swung her around before gently setting her on her feet and kissing her deeply. After a while, he pulled away, wanting to lock this sight in his mind forever. "Shannon," he said, with a relieved sigh. After a moment though, he asked, "How's Kelly?"

"She's upstairs in Pediatrics," Shannon replied, leading her husband over to the elevators. "And John Winchester's been checking up on us."

"John?" Gibbs repeated, frowning a bit. His old friend had practically dropped off the face of the planet 9 years ago. "What's he doing here?"

"Looking for a job, currently," Shannon replied, shrugging as she and Gibbs headed up to the 3rd floor. "He helped us after the car crash and he's been staying with me and Kelly. NIS Special Agent Mike Franks thinks John might make a good agent."

Gibbs nodded, thoughtfully as the elevator doors opened. He knew Shannon's stall tactics well and he wondered what she was trying to avoid. "So is Kelly going to be okay?" he asked, a sudden sick feeling in his gut.

Shannon suddenly hit the button for the next floor and she flipped the switch to stop the elevator in between the floors. After a moment, she turned to her husband and said, "Kelly's not okay, Jethro."

Gibbs stiffened and he didn't even think as he felt the panic rising up in his chest. "Shannon, what are you talking about?"

Knowing that Jethro was thinking the worst, Shannon replied, calmly, "Kelly had a spinal injury. She's doing better, but her legs are pretty weak. The aren't sure yet if it's anything permanent."

While worry and concern weighed heavily on Gibbs as Shannon watched him, he knew that the important thing was that Kelly was alive. If she was hurt, he and Shannon could deal with that.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Kelly Gibbs had never been shy around anyone. Her mother wanted her to act like a girl and while she did wear skirts and dresses sometimes, she almost always wore shorts underneath with the same pair of worn out tennis shoes.

Kelly was the type to run and play the hardest during recess. She played on a local t-ball little league team, and after homework when her dad was home, she'd go down to the basement and help him build a boat.

It was a surprise, therefore, when Kelly blushed the first time she met Sam Winchester and wouldn't say anything to him other than a mumbled 'hello'.

On the flip side, however, John and Dean were equally surprised when Sam became far more animated than usual as he talked to Kelly.

When Gibbs arrived and sat by his daughter's hospital bed, John shooed Dean and Sam out, a small smile on his face as he saw Sam give Kelly a wave 'good-bye' and Kelly gave him a shy wave in return.

Giving Sam the usual two dollars for the vending machines, Dean waited until Sam was gone before asking his father, "Dad, how do you know if a girl likes you?"

John laughed. Lately, he'd been caught off guard by the most sublime things, like Sam asking for help with homework. Or now as Dean asked him for advice on girls. "Well, there are a lot of ways," John replied, shrugging. "Why? Someone I should know about?"

"There's this girl at school," Dean explained with a shrug as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

"She cute?" John asked, thinking how strange it was to be having a normal conversation with his son for once.

"Yeah," Dean said, a little shyly. He did think Corey was cute and the few times they talked, she seemed to like him. But she never wanted to get together and do anything outside of school for some odd reason.

The cell phone in John's pocket rang and he looked at Dean before answering.

"John? It's Bill Harvelle."

Looking at Dean, John said, quickly, "Hey Dean? Why don't you go find Sammy?"

Dean nodded, taking it as an order and not the request that it was, and hurried off down the hall.

Once certain that the kid was out of earshot, John said to Bill, "I can't."

"What do you mean you can't?" Bill asked, derisively. "You've only been out of it for a month. I need you to back me up."

"I've already got Sam and Dean settled down," John argued, even though part of him wanted to drop everything and head out again. But he'd made promises and that NIS agent had already pushed through the paperwork so John could become an agent.

"It's an easy one," Bill insisted, never one to let go of an issue. "Two weeks, tops. Come on, John. I need a second man. If it makes you feel better, I'm missing Jo's school play for this."

"What, so if you can back out of a promise to your kid, I can, too?" John snapped.

But the other hunter sounded tired as he finally said, "Look, John. It's either you or Rufus."

Thinking of Rufus Turner, John sighed, resigned. "Alright, alright. Where do you want me to meet you?"


	2. Chapter 2

AUTHOR'S NOTES: While I know where I want to go with this story, getting there isn't as clear so until I find a groove, the sections might seem a bit skippy.

I'm also trying to think of something supernatural Dean can rescue Corey from. Ideas are welcome!

And please-don't force me to make a deal with Crowley for reviews! (I'm saving that for something else.)

Chapter 2

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><p>"So are you going to tell him or do you want me to?" Casey asked as she and Corey got to school the next day and saw Dean Winchester getting off school bus.<p>

"I'm not telling him anything," Corey insisted, catching Dean's eye. Thankfully the fact that she was blushing was hidden by the rash on her face. But as she saw a few of the other students giving her a wide berth, Corey sighed, dejectedly. "I hate my life."

"Corey," Casey said, quietly, as she tried to put a hand on her twin's arm.

"I'm serious!" Corey shouted before lowering her voice. Looking around at the other kids, some of which kept giving her odd looks, she self-consciously touched the edge of the wig she wore as she added, "I hate being the girl with no hair and the freaky rash on her face."

Casey sighed as she lowered her eyes. Even though she and Corey _were_ twins, Casey had been born first and Corey had been born nearly 24 hours later. As the older sibling, Casey hated that she couldn't help her sister with her current illness. "You can still make friends, Cor. But you never go out anywhere. If it weren't for school, you'd probably never leave the house, right? Besides," she added, with an optimistic smile. "The doctors said you should start getting your hair back soon."

"They've been saying that for 4 months now," Corey grumbled. "Hasn't happened yet."

Going to her school locker, Corey knew her sister had a point. But Casey didn't understand how it felt to have people staring at you all the time. Not to mention the intermittent fatigue and joint and muscle pain.

More than anything, Corey wanted to find a friend who understood what it felt like to be different, but no one ever seemed to. Most people couldn't get past the rash on her cheeks and nose and when she'd started losing her hair last year, things only seemed to get worse.

Corey looked at her reflection in the small mirror inside her locker door and sighed as she studied the wig she wore. Her parents had thought it might help make their daughter feel more like her old self, but Corey was still moody and withdrawn most of the time.

"Hey, Corey."

She turned to see Dean standing by her locker with a grin on his face. "Hey, Dean," she said before hastily grabbing her things from her locker and closing the door. Seeing him still standing there smiling, she asked, "Did you want something?"

"Do you want to grab a burger or something after school?" Dean asked, hopefully.

"I don't think so," Corey said, quickly as she started down the hall.

Feeling a trifle ridiculous and desperate, Dean called after her, "Would it help if I said you're really cute?"

Corey stopped, and Dean felt a skip in his stomach as he went after her as she turned to look at him. "No one's called me 'cute' in a long time," Corey said, surprised.

Dean raised his eyebrows at that and asked, "Why? It's true."

Corey felt herself tearing up and she didn't know what to say.

Dean sighed and went on. "Look, Corey, I like you. And maybe you haven't noticed, but I'm not big on making friends. I've moved around a lot, and I never had a chance to stay in one place." Catching Corey's look, he shrugged. "I've had a weird, crazy life." Dean felt the need to say something else, but at the same time, he also knew not to tell her about hunting. "Sometimes I've felt a little like a freak, you know?" Actually, it was Sam who felt like the freak for some reason, but Dean decided that borrowing his little brother's problems couldn't hurt.

Corey wasn't sure what to say but on the other hand, Dean was the first boy to be honestly nice to her since she'd gotten sick. "Sure," she said, finally. "A burger sounds good."

* * *

><p>Bill Harvelle was a contradiction in the world of demon hunting.<p>

He had a family and his wife ran the Roadhouse that had been in his family for almost 40 years.

He had the sweetest daughter and he'd been adamant that she wasn't to be raised in the life of a hunter.

He was a lean man—not as stocky as must hunters.

Sitting in the old pick-up truck he'd been using for the past few years, Bill checked his watch again and sighed as he waited in the airport parking lot. John Winchester was due in any time now and Bill could only hope the man hadn't gotten too complacent.

Hunting wasn't a 9 to 5 job, and cases could last anywhere from a day to several months depending on what you were hunting. There were a few hunters who did 'part-time' but it was mostly the rare individuals who had legitimate sources of income like Bobby Singer, or Bill himself.

Truth was, Bill was envious of John. It really took strength to walk away, and John was helped by the fact that he wanted more for his sons.

Bill's wife, Ellen, _hated_ that her husband was a hunter and often wanted him to stop chasing after monsters and just help raise their daughter, Jo. Thinking of his little girl, he knew that he was screwed when it came to keeping the kid away from demon hunting. Jo was tough for an 8-year-old and had every ounce of her mother's stubbornness.

A knock on the window made Bill jump and he turned to see John laughing as he opened the passenger door and got in. "That wasn't funny, John," Bill grumbled as he started the car.

"Maybe you're the one who's slowing up," John said with a grin as the two headed away from the airport. "So what's so important it couldn't wait?"

* * *

><p>Sitting out on the curb, Sam wondered where Dad and Dean were. He hated this normal life stuff. At least when Dad was hunting Dean never forgot about him. But now his older brother was chasing after that girlfriend of his and Sam was getting pushed to the side.<p>

"Hey," an older man said, cheerfully as he walked up. Holding out a hand, he said, "Sam, right? John's son?"

Sam recognized the man as Kelly's father and he nodded as he took Gibbs' hand and got to his feet. "Dean was supposed to come get me," Sam griped. "But I guess he got distracted by that girl at school."

Gibbs laughed, nodding as he put a hand on Sam's shoulder and led the boy over to his truck. "Same thing happened to me when I was a little older than Dean," he said as Sam got in the passenger's seat. After getting in the truck, Gibbs pulled away from the school and headed down the road.

Sam looked at Gibbs for a moment before asking, "So when are you going back to the Marines?"

"Well, I'm not," Gibbs replied. "In a couple weeks, you dad and I are going to be joining NIS."

"The Naval Investigative Service?" Sam said, interested. Catching the look from Gibbs, he gave the older man a shy shrug. "I looked it up at school after Dad told me."

"You like school, Sam?" Gibbs asked, curious. He knew Kelly was a secret bookworm and wondered if the youngest Winchester was the same way.

"Yeah, it's okay," Sam said, shrugging again. "Dean calls me a nerd all the time. And Dad doesn't think the stuff you learn in school is practical for… for real life."

Gibbs caught the hesitation, as if the young boy had stopped himself before he said something he shouldn't. But Gibbs was persistant and he very much wanted to know what John Winchester had been doing since leaving the Marine Corps. "So what does John think _is_ practical?"

"Shooting," Sam said, looking out the window. "Knowing how to handle a knife." _'How to stitch up wounds gushing blood,'_ he said to himself. Expecting Gibbs to be disapproving, Sam was surprised to see the man smile. "What?' Sam asked, wanting to know what was so funny.

"Rule #9," Gibbs said, simply. "Never go anywhere without a knife." After a while, he asked, "So what have you really been up to, Sam?"

"I'm not supposed to say," Sam replied, looking away from Gibbs. But he wanted to say. He hated having this secret. But would Gibbs even understand?

Gibbs didn't say anything as he pulled into the parking lot of a nearby coffee shop and got out of the truck for a moment, heading inside for a coffee and something for the kid. He didn't want to push Sam too hard but the boy new something. If they got to the hospital to see Kelly and Sam was still holding back, Gibbs decided to let his daughter have a crack at the younger Winchester.

x

Sam knew he could trust Gibbs with the Big Secret. It was never really a question. You could just look at the man and know that whatever secrets you had would be safe with him. What was holding Sam back, however, was what his father and brother would say if they found out Sam had spilled the beans.

"You alright?" Gibbs asked as he got back in the truck a moment later, handing Sam a bottle of juice.

"Yeah," Sam replied, accepting the juice with a smile.

"Want to talk about it?" Gibbs queried as he took a sip of his coffee.

Sam hesitated for a moment before he said, "I don't want you to think I'm crazy."

But Gibbs just said, "Try me."

Sam turned to he was facing Gibbs more and he finally started talking about everything. Monsters, demons, ghosts… His father training him to hunt supernatural beings and his mother dying in a fire in their old house. When he finished, Sam waited for Gibbs to say he had an overactive imagination or that he needed to tell the truth and not some elaborate story.

But Gibbs looked pensive and finally met Sam's eyes. "A few years ago my unit was on patrol in this forest in Iraq one night. Something attacked us. Only a few made it out in one piece, myself included. It was like nothing I'd ever seen before. Thing turned out to be a wendigo."

"I think they're the worst," Sam admitted, relieved that Gibbs believed him. After a moment, he asked, "Are you going to tell Dad what I told you?"

"Do you want me to?" Gibbs asked.

"Not really," Sam admitted. "I'm not supposed to talk about it, Dad said."

"Okay," Gibbs replied, nodding.

Sam was surprised by that and asked, "You're really not going to tell Dad that I told you about the monsters and stuff?"

Gibbs nodded again as he started the truck's engine and pulled out of the parking lot. "You don't want me to tell John, that's okay. If you change your mind, just let me know."

As they headed towards the hospital to see Kelly, Gibbs was caught off guard when Sam said, "I wish _you_ were my dad."

* * *

><p>Three weeks later, John and Gibbs found themselves in the headquarters of NIS sitting opposite each other in the squad room.<p>

For Leroy Jethro Gibbs, it was strange to be at a desk and not in the Marines. Criminal investigation was a new world for him and truth be told, Gibbs wasn't sure he was cut out for this. But his own skills had nothing to do with his decision to leave the Corps, but rather the fact that the health benefits offered by NIS were better and with Kelly still recovering from the accident that was a top priority.

Sitting across from Gibbs, John Winchester found himself equally out of place. It was so strange to be an _actual_ federal agent and not just pretending to be one. Plus there was the fact he was investigating normal crimes committed by actual human beings and not supernatural entities.

"Grab your gear, probies," Mike Franks said, gruffly as he came into the squad room. "Dead Navy petty officer in Shenandoah Park."

Gibbs and John both jumped up, grabbing their bags and following Franks to the elevator.

x

The ride to the crime scene was uneventful and as the two newest agents grabbed their stuff from the back of the van, John once again wondered if he was out of his mind for doing this.

Thankfully, Gibbs seemed to be in the same boat as they hauled their equipment over to the dead body.

"What's the matter?" Franks snapped as he saw his newest agent staring at the body. "You two never saw a dead body before? Get to work! Gibbs, start canvassing. I want pictures of the body and a 10 foot radius around. Winchester—start collecting evidence."

After working for a few moments, Gibbs looked up at his new boss. "Got a bloody knife over here, boss."

"What're you telling me for?" Franks said, frowning. Motioning to John, he said, "Bag it, Probie." As he supervised the probationary agents as they bagged and tagged and interviewed witnesses, Franks suppressed a smile. John Winchester had a very keen eye and had even found a few bits of evidence that Franks himself had overlooked.

Jethro Gibbs didn't have the eyes of an investigator yet, but as he watched the new agent interviewing witnesses and onlookers, Franks noticed that Gibbs was unusually good with the 10-year-old boy who had stumbled on the crime scene.

To Mike Franks, investigating crime scenes wasn't about teaching or learning. To him, it was all about what you saw and following your gut. The crime lab techs were the ones who figured the science of who, where, when, and how of crimes, but investigators covered the why.

But more than that, you could make someone a good investigator, but great investigators were already that way. They just needed to polish and refine their skills.

Mike knew full well he was a damn good investigator and a top notch federal agent.

Gibbs and Winchester had the potential to be even better… Once they grew up a little.

* * *

><p>Kelly was Bored.<p>

She had been in the hospital for more than a month and a half and she wanted to go home and go back to school. She couldn't understand why she still couldn't walk. After almost a month, Kelly had been able to move her legs a bit and the physical therapists had even had her standing for a few minutes last week.

But no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't get her legs to work the way she wanted them to.

"Hey, Kelly," Sam said as he came into the room holding a small bouquet of flowers.

Kelly smiled shyly as she very carefully sat up. "I thought your dad was dropping you off at my house after school," she said a bit surprised.

"Your mom picked me up," Sam replied, shrugging as he sat on Kelly's bed. "She went to grab a cup of coffee but she'll be back soon."

"Thanks for coming, Sam," Kelly said, a slight blush creeping up her cheeks. When she saw Sam blush, she asked, "What?"

"Usually Dad and Dean call me 'Sammy'," Sam replied, shrugging.

"You're more of a 'Sam' than a 'Sammy'," Kelly countered. "How was school?"

"Our teacher wants us to draw a picture of our family," Sam said, gloomily.

Kelly wasn't sure what was so bad about that and said as much.

"I can't draw," Sam muttered, looking dejected.

Kelly thought for a moment and then said, "I could do it for you."

"Really?" Sam said, eagerly. "That'd be great!" Pulling out a blank piece of paper and a set of colored pencils, he handed the materials to Kelly along with one of his textbooks so she had a hard surface to draw on.

x

Watching her daughter and Sam Winchester together, Shannon covered up a smile. The two were actually kind of cute together. Of course they were just kids and far too young to be actually dating, but she had to say that Kelly was far more cheerful that she would have expected, given the circumstances.

For a moment, Shannon thought about the future now open to her daughter—school dances, graduation, college… In the instant the van had crashed, Shannon had thought she and Kelly were dead. But being given a second chance, she saw a world of opportunities open up for her daughter.

* * *

><p>AN: Next chapter- John Winchester meets another new agent, Dean finds out more about Corey, and Gibbs decides to take Sam under his wing.


	3. Chapter 3

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Two things—first, Ms. Volpe is a real person and one of my favorite English teachers from high school.

Second, I would like to say that the medical info later in the chapter is from Google.

Enjoy!

Chapter 3

* * *

><p>Spring came before Dean knew it and to his surprise, he found himself happy that his life had returned to normality.<p>

Well, his father was still gone sometimes for days or weeks at a time, but instead of hunting trips, the absences were because of NIS undercover assignments.

Sam was doing even better in school than before and was helping Kelly keep up with her own homework while the girl in rehab for the injuries to her back. Dean had been surprised that his little brother was so interested in her, but at the same time, he was glad of it. Sam had never had a real friend before, so Dean was happy his brother was finally being more social than before.

Even Dean was getting good grades in his classes—though Sam would always be the nerd in the family.

And then, of course, there was Corey.

Dean had been good with girls ever since he was 8 years old, but there was something about Cordelia Adler that he really liked. She was funny and smart and had a great laugh. They would sometimes go grab a burger or pizza after school or go to the library after getting Sam from school.

But there always seemed to be something bothering her. Dean had picked up on it when he'd first met Corey and after a while, he figured that she was just self-conscious about the rash on her cheeks. It didn't seem to be anything contagious, though, and Dean could never understand why Corey didn't have more friends.

Heading to his locker the first day back from Spring Break, Dean was surprised when he didn't see Corey coming up as usual. Maybe she was out sick. She had looked tired before the break, after all.

Deciding maybe he'd stop by her house after school, Dean packed up what books he needed for his first few classes and started down the hallway when he saw a young girl running right at him, not looking where she was going. Unable to get out of the way, Dean was surprised when the girl went right through him, making him feel like he'd just been doused with ice water.

Looking around but seeing no sign of the ghost, Dean decided to skip his first class and headed to the library but stopped when he realized that asking the school librarians about any suspicious deaths might not be the best idea. But he could check the public library later and see if there was anything on the history of the school.

The prospect of working his own hunt filled Dean with an excitement that he hadn't had in months and he found himself unable to concentrate that day in class, making notes for himself on what all he needed to do to find out about that dead girl.

"Mr. Winchester," his English teacher, Ms. Volpe, said, waiting until Dean glanced up. "Care to share with the rest of the class what's more interesting than the reading assignment?"

"Nothing," Dean replied, quickly, trying pushing his notes back into his binder before the teacher came to look at them.

But Ms. Volpe was quicker and after a quick glance at the notes, she said, sharply, "See me after school, Mr. Winchester. Now put it away."

Dean hesitated, but said, "Ms. Volpe, I need to pick my brother up after—" But seeing his teacher's look, Dean just nodded, dismally.

* * *

><p>Sitting out on the curb in the unseasonably warm spring weather, Sam scanned the street for his brother. He hadn't heard otherwise, so he figured that Dean was probably late getting there.<p>

It was nice that the middle school and elementary schools were within walking distance of each other. And since Sam's school got out half an hour later than Dean's, Dean could walk over, meet his brother, and they could both take the same school bus home if they didn't feel like walking back to the house.

For Sam, being away from all the supernatural stuff was freeing in a way he'd never felt before. No more moving around, no more being cooped up in the house when he wasn't in school. Next year, Sam even had hopes of joining the school's soccer team.

Pulling out his homework, Sam figured he might as well get a jump on his assignments, if only so he could rub it in when Dean finally showed up.

* * *

><p>"So you like ghost stories, huh?" Ms. Volpe asked Dean when he came by her classroom after the dismissal bell rang.<p>

Dean breathed a mental sigh of relief but decided to play it cool. "Yeah, they're okay. I like monster stories, too."

Ms. Volpe smiled and leaned back in her chair, giving the 13-year-old boy a warm smile. "You know this school has it's share of ghost stories, Dean. In fact…" Standing and going to the bookshelves along the back wall, she pulled a book out and handed it to Dean.

Dean glanced through the book and gave his teacher a polite smile. "Can I borrow this for a bit?" he asked, trying not to sound too eager.

But Ms. Volpe seemed delighted that she'd finally found something Dean Winchester was passionate about. For the past few months, she'd noticed that he'd seemed bored in class and had been wondering how to regain his attention. "Just bring it back when you're done."

xxxxxxxx

"Been waiting long, Sammy?" Dean asked when he finally found his brother inside the school, putting his books back in his backpack.

"Long enough that I got all my homework done," Sam replied with a smile as he and Dean finally headed home.

"Yeah, I'm sorry, Sammy," Dean said, sincerely. "My English teacher held me after school." Sensing that his brother was going to start in on the questions, Dean quickly tried to run through possible cover stories. Until now, detention would have worked.

"So where's Corey?" Sam asked after a while.

Grateful that Sammy wasn't asking about Dean's delay, Dean shrugged. "I don't know. She wasn't at school today."

Sam was quiet for a while and as he and Dean came to an intersection, he asked, "Is Corey your girlfriend?"

"She's my friend," Dean corrected.

With a smile, Sam asked, "Does it bother you that your only friend is a girl?"

Dean didn't rise to the bait, even though Sam had a point. Dean hadn't made any other friends at school except for Corey and possibly Casey who seemed to like him. But thinking of his little brother, Dean grinned and asked, "I don't know, Sammy. Does it bother you at all?"

Sam blushed a bit and didn't meet his brother's eyes.

xxxxxxxx

At home that evening, Dean finished up his homework quickly after getting Sam dinner and started to read the book Ms. Volpe had given him.

The book had been published by a former student and Dean studied each of the pictures trying to find the girl he'd seen.

But Dean was so lost in reading one particular page, he didn't even notice that his dad was home until he heard him say, "I hope that's assigned reading, Dean."

Dean jumped and looked up at his father, wishing he could hide the book. But after a moment, he sighed and said, "I saw a ghost at school." Seeing that his father was about to say something, Dean held up the book, pointing to a picture. "It was this girl and she ran right through me."

John gave his older son an indulgent look and took the book, skimming over the article. If it was just a basic haunting, there was nothing to worry about as long as no one got hurt. "Look, Dean, I'm not saying I don't believe you, okay?" John said, closing the book and setting it aside. "But I want you to leave this alone, alright, dude? It's not your job anymore. "

"But what if the ghost hurts someone?" Dean argued, making sure Sam wasn't listening. "I can take care of it, Dad."

The part of John Winchester that was still a hunter was bursting with pride, but the part of him that was a father disapproved. Still, perhaps he and Dean could reach a middle ground. "I know you can, Dean," John replied, confidently. "And I'll tell you what: Do a little more research on this, and then we'll see if we need to do something about it."

Dean was surprised at that but nodded in agreement. But there was something that was bothering him just a bit. "What if I need help?"

"All you have to do is ask, Dean," John assured his son. But looking at Dean's hesitant look, John again cursed himself for trying to instill in his sons such a strong independence. Sam and Dean should feel free to come to him for help and advice instead of assuming they had to do everything by themselves.

* * *

><p>Ever since she was old enough to know what a Marine was, Kelly had wanted to be one. She wanted to fight battles and defeat bad guys just like her dad and nothing would ever get in her way.<p>

Kelly had never been one for acting like a girl. Sure, her mom tried to get her to wear skirts and dresses, but Kelly didn't go for that much. She liked to run around and climb trees and play as hard as any of the boys in school. She did like school, though, but tried not to act too much like a nerd. A tomboy girl like herself had a reputation to maintain, right?

But then Sam Winchester had come into her life and Kelly suddenly found herself feeling more like a girl than she'd ever felt in her life. She didn't always feel that she had to be tough and brave. She could just be herself—right down to being a geeky bookworm—and Sam didn't mind.

With exception to Maddie Tyler, Kelly didn't have many friends and so it was nice to talk to Sam about things.

Now if only she could stop blushing whenever she saw Sam now that she was back at school.

* * *

><p>It was another week before Dean saw Casey at school again and he had to admit it certainly looked like she'd been sick or worse.<p>

Although Dean didn't exactly feel great himself. He'd been staying up as late as his father would let him get away with trying to find out about his school's ghost issue.

But Dean put his problems aside as he saw how bad Corey looked. She looked thin and the rash on her cheeks and nose looked more pronounced than usual. Her head was wrapped with a scarf and most startling was the fact that Corey was actually in a wheelchair.

"It looks worse than it is," Corey assured Dean as he followed her to her own locker. "My parents and doctors just made a big fuss over nothing."

"How long have you been sick?" Dean asked, not meaning for it to sound so direct. But to his surprise, Corey looked almost relived at the question.

"Couple years," Corey replied, grabbing her books.

Dean felt a sick twisting in his stomach and asked, "So… what is it?" He couldn't think of what he really wanted to ask.

Corey knew what Dean was thinking and quickly replied, "It's not cancer, Dean." After a moment, she sighed. "It's called lupus. I was out sick because I had a superbad flare last week and ended up in the hospital."

Unsure of what to say, Dean could only reply with, "That sucks."

"Yeah, it does," Corey agreed with a grim smile and a nod.

The two skipped their first few classes, instead going to a secluded corner of the library.

Dean had a pile of questions, but he was having a hard time thinking of the best way to ask them.

But Corey was patient and answered most of Dean's questions with the clinical calmness of a doctor.

She explained that the rash was a common symptom of her illness, usually becoming worse if the disease was flaring up.

When Dean asked Corey why she couldn't walk, Corey gave him a reassuring smile. "It's just for a day or two," she replied, shrugging. "This recent lupus flare caused inflammation of the sac around my heart and my knees and ankles were in really bad shape. My doctors said I could come back to school today, but I couldn't do anything strenuous. They didn't even want me walking or going up and down stairs."

It was a little overwhelming to Dean and he finally asked, "What about… your hair?" When he'd first seen the scarf, he'd wondered if the hair loss was from cancer treatments.

Corey self-consciously touched the scarf and felt herself blush with embarrassment. "About 7 or 8 months ago, my hair started falling out. It just got worse and worse. Mom and Dad thought the wig might make me look more normal, but…" Corey took a moment, watching Dean's face as he took everything in. She was grateful that he wasn't running for the hills now that he knew her big secret.

"So… what happens when you get a flare?" Dean wanted to know.

"Well, I get really tired," Corey explained, trying to hide the fact that she wanted to hug Dean for being so great about this. "My joints hurt a lot. My face gets really bad and sometimes the rash covers my scalp. That's why I've got the scarf. Lupus is an autoimmune disease, so when it flares, it's like my body starts attacking itself."

"Anything I can do to help?" Dean asked, even though he wasn't sure what he could possibly do.

Corey just shook her head since she didn't trust herself to speak without her voice cracking. She was just so touched that Dean wanted to help and beyond grateful to finally have a true friend.

* * *

><p>AN: Corey's illness is a new one for me to write so if anyone knows someone with Lupus, don't hesitate to let me know what I might have messed up or what details I should know.

Next chapter: Sam and Gibbs talk, Dean hunts a ghost, and John realizes that he knows next to nothing about really being a father.


	4. Chapter 4

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I know it has been forever since I've updated this story but with all my other projects, this story got kinda back-burnered for a while. But I'm working on this now and I will be taking out my anger and frustrations about the current season of 'Supernatural' on Sam and Dean. Well, Dean will be getting it now and Sam will be getting it later on.

xxxx

CHAPTER SUMMARY: The Winchesters find out that the ghost Dean saw at his school is more dangerous than they thought.

* * *

><p>When Dean and Sam got home from school that afternoon, they found a message on the answering machine from Bobby Singer—a hunter friend of their father's.<p>

"_Dean, I did some digging on that ghost you told me about. Call me back, kid."_

"What ghost?" Sam asked, looking at his brother with a mixed expression.

"It's nothing, Sam," Dean assured Sam quickly. Once the kid was in his room and doing his homework, Dean went outside with the cordless phone and called Bobby. "Hey, Bobby," Dean said, when the older hunter came on the line. "What's up?"

"You doin' okay, kid?" Bobby asked, sounding concerned.

"Yeah," Dean replied, shrugging. "I'm good. Hey, about that ghost-?"

But Bobby cut the kid off quickly. "You said the girl went through you?"

Dean didn't respond at first as he picked up on the worried tone of Bobby's voice. "Yeah, why?"

Bobby let out a long sigh on the other end of the line. "Because I dug up the kid's history—she died due to a heart condition which her parents ignored until she had a massive heart attack."

"This book on local hauntings one of my teachers loaned me said that she died at the school," Dean threw in, thinking that it was so cool how Bobby was just talking to him like another hunter. But when Bobby didn't say anything for a moment, Dean's gut started twisting. "Bobby, what is it?"

"This ghost has a pretty cold MO," Bobby explained. "How long ago did you see her?"

"About a week ago," Dean replied, now starting to worry a bit. "Bobby, what is it?"

"This kid curses her victims," Bobby explained. "She blows through them and in about 24 hours, you're cursed."

"Cursed how?" Dean asked, looking at the house. He thought of his little brother and his dad and what they would say when they found out. "Bobby, what do we do?"

"Sit tight, kid," Bobby assured Dean. "I'll be there in the morning. We'll figure this out together, okay?"

Dean muttered something in response and hung up the phone but as he turned to go back inside, he stopped as his legs suddenly felt like they'd been turned to Jello. Before he could even call out to Sam, Dean fell to the ground as his legs gave out.

* * *

><p>The next day, Bobby got to DC and found Sam and Dean on the Pediatric floor of the Waterford County Hospital. Looking in the room and seeing Dean lying in bed, the gruff, older hunter let out a breath. "Balls!" he muttered as he went in and closed the door. Looking at the two boys, he asked, "What happened?"<p>

"Doctors don't know yet," Sam said, quietly as he sat on the edge of his brother's bed. "I found Dean outside in the yard. He could barely walk—said his legs were really weak."

"Okay," Bobby said, nodding slowly. "Well, I'll go see what I can find out. I'll be back in a few minutes." But just as he turned to step outside, Bobby was surprised by a doctor coming into the room.

"Are you the boys' father?" Dr. Nate Grant asked as he looked at Bobby.

"Uh, no, I'm their uncle," Bobby corrected. "Their dad's out of town right now. He's a federal agent."

"You need to get a hold of him as soon as possible," Grant replied.

Dean's complexion paled and he swallowed before he asked, "What's wrong with me?"

Grant didn't respond to the question but instead he said, "It really would be best to go over everything when your father's here, son."

"Yeah, well right now I'm the best you're gonna get," Bobby snapped, his temper getting the best of him. "So again—What's wrong with Dean?"

Grant paused for a moment and then withdrew the file he'd started when Dean was admitted. "Dean came in with muscle weakness and a slight decrease in motor function in his legs. We're waiting on the results of the blood tests, spinal tap, and muscle biopsy but given the circumstances and the medical history we've mostly ruled out an infection or injury but more serious diseases and disorders such as cancer, muscular dystrophy, or multiple sclerosis are still possibilities."

Bobby repressed the urge to clock the doctor in the face especially after seeing the shell-shocked looks on Sam and Dean's faces.

* * *

><p>Ever since he'd started at her school, Corey had never known Dean not to show up for class all day.<p>

Something was wrong—she knew it. And when she saw Sam sitting outside by the buses looking like a lost puppy someone had kicked, Corey knew there was something seriously wrong. "Where's Dean?" Corey asked, as she went over to Dean's little brother.

"In the hospital," Sam said, quietly. He looked like he'd been crying and even though it was a cool day, he wasn't wearing a jacket. Wiping his eyes, he said, "Something's wrong with Dean but the doctors don't really know what it is."

Corey gave Sam a small smile and sat down next to him, putting an arm around his shoulders. "Hey, it'll be okay, Sam. Okay?" After a moment, she heard Sam mutter something about a ghost. Thinking that she'd misheard, Corey asked, "What did you say?"

Sam wiped his nose on the sleeve of his jacket, not even thinking about lying at the moment or how it would sound to Dean's girlfriend. "That stupid ghost did it. She ran through Dean and now he's—"

"What did she look like?" Corey asked, quickly, as she thought back. It was something she hadn't even thought about in years.

"I don't know," Sam replied, surprised at the question. "Dean didn't say." After a moment, he looked at Corey. "So… you believe me? Why?"

Corey didn't say anything for a minute or two but then she said, "Because I think I may have seen it too… a couple years ago, right before I was diagnosed with lupus."

* * *

><p>In a quiet corner of the cafeteria of the hospital, Bobby sat with Sam and Corey as the young girl related her experience with the ghost of Kimberly Manners.<p>

"It was late October and I was getting my things out of my locker," Corey said, not looking at Sam or Bobby. "I felt someone grab my arm really tight but when I turned around there was no one there."

Bobby nodded thoughtfully and asked, "How long after that did you start having symptoms?"

Corey shrugged as she thought back. "Maybe… two weeks. It started out as joint pain and the rash on my face."

"What do you think, Bobby?" Sam asked, curiously, looking at the older hunter. "Is this like what happened to Dean?"

Bobby thought about the cases for a minute or two before replying. Corey Adler fit the victim profile—if only because she went to Whitman Middle School—and the timing fit between when Corey saw the ghost and when the doctors diagnosed her with lupus.

Of course, the doctors were still trying to figure out what was afflicting Dean. So far, all they'd been able to determine was that Dean was experiencing muscle weakness and decreased motor function in his legs. "It sure looks the same, Sam," Bobby admitted.

"So if that girl caused all this," Corey asked, thinking. "—does that mean there's a way to undo it?"

"Maybe," Bobby said, although he wasn't sure if salting and burning Kim Manners' body would work in this case. "It's possible, but no guarantees."

Corey nodded, understanding what the older man was saying. While there was a chance that dealing with the ghost could potentially fix Dean and her, it was probably a good idea to take a pragmatic approach.

* * *

><p>It was late that night when John finally got to the hospital and stepped into Dean's room, waking Bobby who was parked in a chair in the corner.<p>

Bobby quickly got up and shooed John out of the room, silently closing the door behind them.

"Bobby, what happened?" John asked, not sure of what else to say.

But before answering John Winchester's question, Bobby snapped, "Didn't you check to make sure the boys' schools weren't haunted?"

"Excuse me?" John said, not quite sure what to make of the other man's question.

"I mean, I didn't think you were that much of an idjit," Bobby went on. "What next? You move into a haunted house?"

"I didn't realize I was supposed to check schools for ghosts," John snapped back. "I thought all this stuff was behind us until Dean told me there was a damn ghost at his school."

Bobby was about to say something else when he stopped, seeing a doctor in her mid-30's heading their way. "Sorry, doc. We'll try to keep it down," he said, quickly, expecting a comment about being too loud.

"Actually, I was hoping we could talk about your nephew, Mr. Singer," the doctor replied before looking at John. "Are you Dean's father?"

"John Winchester," the former hunter replied, holding out a hand to the young doctor.

"Dr. Laurie Hughes," she said with a smile as she shook John's hand. "My specialty is diagnostic medicine. I heard about Dean's case and I may know a little about what's going on."

John and Bobby shared the briefest of looks before Bobby said, "We're listening."

Laurie paused for a moment before looking at the few nurses milling about the floor and then said, "Let's go to my office."

Once John and Bobby were sitting down opposite Laurie, she said, "I know how crazy this is going to sound, but this is the story my grandfather told me. 52 years ago, a 13-year-old girl died at Whitman Middle School from a heart attack. She had a heart condition but didn't know it. After she died, she started haunting the school."

"We already know that part, doc," Bobby interjected. "Tell us something we don't know."

"Like how you know about all this," John said, keeping his expression neutral even though he was confused at why this woman believed that there was such a thing as ghosts.

Laurie leaned back in her chair and let out a breath. "My grandfather was a doctor back then. He was mostly a general practitioner but he also doubled occasionally as a medical examiner. He worked Kim Manners' death and shortly afterwards, he noticed some odd cases popping up."

Bobby's expression didn't change but his eyes narrowed at that. "Odd how?"

"'Odd' like…" Laurie paused and finally shrugged. "Over the past 50 years or so, there have been 30 students and 13 faculty members at Whitman Middle School who have been diagnosed with some serious illness or disorder. Multiple sclerosis, cancer, autoimmune diseases, muscular dystrophy… Two 13-year-old students were actually diagnosed with _Huntington's_ and I can't even _begin_ to tell you how insane that is. I mean, we're talking about a degenerative disease that doesn't usually hit until someone's in their 30's."

"And everyone affected saw our ghost?" John asked, amazed. How had he never known about this before now? He could have stopped this and saved who knows how many people.

Laurie sighed again and shrugged. "No… _sightings_ of the ghost of Kim Manners are up in the mid-hundreds, actually. Seeing her doesn't do anything to you. But if she touches you… that's what does the real damage."

Thinking about Dean again, John felt the question popping up in his head again and after a few moments, he asked, "So what's wrong with Dean?"

At first, the young doctor didn't say anything, but both Bobby and John noticed that Laurie was slowly tapping one finger on a file sitting on her desk. The name on the file was Dean Winchester. Looking at John and Bobby, Laurie said, "The good news is that it's not cancer or anything potentially terminal."

"And the bad news?" Bobby asked, not really wanting to hear the answer.

"The bad news is that Dean's muscle weakness is due to a degenerative condition," Laurie went on. She slid the file forward and when John took it and opened it to read the reports, she said, "It's called tibialis posterior atrophy." She knew that the words wouldn't mean anything to the two men so she continued. "Basically, the muscles in Dean's lower legs are going to get progressively weaker."

John didn't know what to say to all this but at the same time his mind was spinning with questions. The most pressing question being—what would happen to Dean now? "So… how is this going to progress?" he asked, handing his son's file back.

Laurie seemed to slip back in to 'doctor-mode' as she replied, "Well, first we want to test and see how bad the muscle weakness is. Then we'll go from there."

Rubbing his face with one hand, John pressed on. He wanted to know what was going on with Dean first. How bad could this condition get? Would Dean eventually be completely unable to walk? And if that happened, how would they deal with it? "Well, give us the rundown," he said, finally. "How bad can Dean's condition get?"

"If the weakness in Dean's legs is very minimal," Laurie explained. "—then for the time being, we just keep an eye on him. If the weakness is more pronounced, we'll start with having Dean fitted for leg braces which will give him additional support. If that works, we'll just keep monitoring his condition." She knew what Dean's father and uncle really wanted to know and she'd be lying if she didn't say that she was stalling. "When Dean's legs start getting bad, we'll most likely have to have him start using crutches to walk in addition to the braces." Looking at John and seeing the question in his eyes, Laurie added, "And yes… eventually, the muscle weakness will necessitate the use of a wheelchair."

xxxxx

Dean was still asleep when John re-entered his son's hospital room and sat down next to the bed.

Bobby had gone to check on Sam, saying that it would be better if John told Dean what was going on.

Rubbing his face with one hand, John couldn't stop berating himself for not being more careful about picking Dean's school. But that was just the latest way he had been a crappy father.

"You're not a bad father," said a young nurse as she came into the room to check on Dean. She was blonde and pretty with hazel eyes that reminded John of Dean's. The girl smiled gently at John's look and added, "Working in Pediatrics, you get used to recognizing the guilty parent look. You know, the parents who blame themselves for what's happened to their kids. You've got it in spades."

John didn't say anything as he just watched his older son sleep but he was surprised when the nurse sat down on the other side of Dean's bed, giving his a pointed look. "You don't know what I've done," John said, quietly. "I can't even begin to count how many times I've screwed up with Dean and Sam."

The nurse shrugged lightly. "Well, you can worry about what has happened or you can start thinking ahead. Try and deal with what's in front of you." Catching John's glare, she went on. "My great-mother, grandfather, uncle, and cousin on my dad's side of the family died of cancer. My Dad's relapsed twice and I just went back into remission last year. I can blame my dad's genes for making me sick, or I can do my job and help other families and kids who are sick." Standing up, she added, "Instead of sitting here brooding, maybe you should be trying to fix the problem."

xxxxxxxx

A few minutes later after checking on another patient, Roberta 'Ruby' Dawes watched John Winchester walking quickly towards the elevator. The demon using her as a meatsuit was happy to see the hunter leaving the floor, but Ruby the Nurse was upset. She hated the thought of poor little Dean Winchester sleeping while his dad went to destroy the ghost that cursed him.

* * *

><p>Kim Manners was buried in a small cemetery just outside Manassas.<p>

After bugging Bobby for almost an hour, John had finally convinced the other man to join him in burning the kid's corpse.

As the two dug up the casket, Bobby groused again, "I can't begin to tell you how wrong this is. Digging up a kid—a KID!—just ain't right."

John didn't reply even thought a part of him did agree with Bobby. "Yeah, well, maybe we'll luck out and putting the kid's ghost down will fix Dean… And maybe Casey and everyone else this thing has hurt."

Bobby stopped digging for a moment and leaned on his shovel, giving John a look. When John stopped as well, Bobby asked, "You really think you're gonna get that lucky?" Seeing his friend shrug and resume frantically digging, he said, "And what if this doesn't work?"

"That's not an option," John snapped angrily. "This has to work—this has to fix Dean."

"But what if it doesn't?" Bobby pressed. He threw down his shovel and waited for John to face him. "What happens if you can't fix Dean? Look, I love those boys like they're my own. But this ain't your usual curse, okay? And whether you want to admit it or not, this is probably something that ain't just gonna be fixed by a salt and burn."

John remained silent and continued digging.

After a few minutes, Bobby sighed and grabbed his shovel before also resuming his digging.


	5. Chapter 5

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Okay… So here's the latest on my carpal tunnel imposed hiatus.

First off, updates to my stories will be starting up again, but I'm only going to be updating one story a month. The super long marathon writing sessions were part of why my wrists were so bad to start so that's something I need to stop. At the same time, not writing _anything_ was sending my muses into overdrive and actually affecting my sleep so no more cold turkey on the writing.

Also, for some of my long-standing WIPs, if there's a story you would like to adopt to finish or rewrite, just let me know.

Now, I've posted these before, but just for the record, the following plot bunnies are up for adoption:

1. While filming his Food Network special 'Feasting on Asphalt', Alton Brown and his film crew come across the Harvelle Roadhouse.

2. Bobby's not the ghost haunting Sam and Dean but rather someone else. (Rufus, Ellen, Ruby… but someone unexpected)

3. Sam or Dean starts getting carpal tunnel. (Art imitating life, I guess)

4. Something funny involving Lucifer (Hallucination Lucifer, that is) and Sam. (I don't know! The bunnies don't make sense, they just move in!)

5. I'd love for someone else to use my OFC Celeste in a story. I keep trying to pin something down but no such luck. (Celeste is an angel who is supposed to be one of God's favorites. She focuses on healing and tends to be a bit of a pacifist.)

And lastly, there's one story line that's been bugging me for weeks so here it is:

6. Sam has been losing his hearing since he was 9—something that resulted in permanent injuries to himself and Dean during a hunt. When Dean goes to get Sam at Stanford years later, he finds Sam completely deaf and engaged to a girl named Maxine (Max, for short) who has a hunting past of her own.

OKAY!

Now that all that is out of the way, let's turn the focus of the notes onto _this_ story.

First off, to reviewer cocoa85715—if you thought I was insane for possibly putting Dean in a wheelchair, you're going to _swear_ I'm certifiable when you see what I'm _actually_ going to do to him… and Sam and Kelly and Corey.

Also, Ruby is going to be coming into the picture in this chapter since John Winchester bumping off Yellow-Eyes at the start of this story.

AND NOW… What y'all are REALLY here for, the next chapter of 'What Goes Up…'!

And... really? NO ONE caught the 'House' reference last chapter? I'd have thought someone would have mentioned it.

* * *

><p>Chapter 5<p>

It was almost afternoon when John finally slipped into his son's hospital room the next day. The doctors had been testing all morning to see how bad the muscle disorder in Dean's legs was progressing, leaving the kid exhausted and sound asleep as John sat down next to his son's bed. Looking up at the sounds of footsteps in the doorway, he was surprised when he saw Gibbs come into the room.

"How's Dean?" Gibbs asked, looking at the sleeping teenager. He remembered seeing Kelly lying in the hospital only months ago and he knew how his friend must be feeling. At the time of the accident, Gibbs had been told that there was a likely possibility his little girl wouldn't be able to walk. But at her latest physical therapy session, Kelly had been walking fairly well on her own without assistance.

John sighed as he thought about what Dr. Hughes had told him earlier. She'd been reviewing the test results when he'd arrived on the pediatric floor of the hospital. In her office, Laurie had gone over said results with John, trying to be supportive but the facts weren't good. "Dean has a pronounced level of weakness in his legs," John replied quietly. Looking at Dean, he wished he could torture that ghost for doing this to his son. "Dr. Hughes is keeping him here for another week for a full evaluation while Dean's fitted for leg braces."

Gibbs didn't say anything for a while but after almost 10 minutes, he said, "Go home, John. Get some sleep. I'll call Special Agent Franks and tell him you're taking some time off and I'll stay with Dean for a while."

Maybe it was just how weary he felt in general, but John just sighed and nodded, standing up.

"Dad?" Dean said, waking up looking at his father. "Where were you earlier? What'd the doctors say about those test results? Am I going to be okay?"

Gibbs could tell that John wanted some time alone with his older son and said nothing as he headed out of the room.

xx

An hour later, Gibbs was at his desk at NCIS working on case reports when Mike Franks came in.

"Where's Winchester?" Franks asked, looking at the empty desk where his other probie usually sat.

"His son's in the hospital," Gibbs replied, succinctly. "He's taking a couple days off."

Franks looked at Gibbs and raised an eyebrow. "First your kid, then Winchester's," he said, shaking his head. "Sorry to hear it. You two have some shitty luck."

Gibbs just nodded in reply and went back to his work. He'd never been one to believe in luck—good or bad. Things just happened, sometimes without any apparent rhyme or reason. But then Kelly and Shannon's accident happened and Gibbs had almost lost the two most important people in his life. God, what would he have done if they'd died?

But he didn't dwell on those thoughts. Shannon and Kelly were alive and well and Gibbs could imagine Kelly being back to normal in no time. Turning his focus to the case reports on his desk, Gibbs went back to work.

* * *

><p><em>6 Years Later<em>

Every time Kelly Anne Gibbs walked down the hall at school, guys always eyed her the same way—starting with her legs and slowly roving all the way up to her face and her brilliant blue eyes. Even the seniors wanted a date with the incredible daughter of NCIS Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs.

But presently, as Kelly grabbed her books from her locker and shut the door, she only had eyes for the tall, trim sophomore student who was leaning against the lockers, his mop of brown hair falling across his brown eyes.

"Ready for Saturday?" Sam Winchester asked with a smile, brushing his shaggy, brown hair out of his face.

"Tri-State track finals?" Kelly replied, as she and her boyfriend headed to their class. "We are _so_ going to cream Maryland and Pennsylvania. I mean, between your speed and every other guy staring at my ass—" Catching Sam's frown, Kelly rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I know—you don't like me flaunting my butt or boobs. But I say if you've got it… why not?"

Sam didn't say anything but he wished Kelly wasn't so hung up on her looks. Yes, she was hot, and tons of other guys wanted to date her, but there was no doubt in Sam's mind that it was only because Kelly was so attractive.

Well, maybe her looks weren't the sole reason for her popularity, Sam realized as he and Kelly stopped to help one of the teachers who had dropped a pile of books and papers. Kelly was also very smart, sweet, friendly with just about everyone, as well as being athletic.

After recovering from the car accident when she was a kid, Kelly had jumped straight into sports—first soccer along with Sam when they were 12 and then track when the two entered high school.

For Sam, high school had started out awkward as he'd been kind of on the short side the first half of the freshman year. But by the end of the year, he'd hit several growth spurts at once and now Sam was even a couple inches taller than his brother, Dean. It was also awkward because the kids in Sam's school actually knew him—either because they knew him from middle school or they knew him as Dean Winchester's little brother.

It was strange to be at school and not be a total stranger. Sam had friends now, he had a life, he had a girlfriend… everything he'd missed out on as a kid while his dad hauled him and his brother across the country fighting monsters, ghosts, and demons.

But thinking of his brother and the supernatural, Sam let out a deep sigh as he thought of Dean's curent problem. Six years ago, Dean was cursed by a very, _very_ angry ghost—something he actually had in common with his girlfriend.

Corey Adler had been cursed by the same ghost a couple years before Dean and as a result she'd developed lupus—an autoimmune disease occasionally causing intense joint pain, rashes, and a myriad of other symptoms. Although the worst symptom for Corey had actually been the hair loss—something that was usually temporary but for her had apparently become permanent.

But none of that had mattered to Dean. He and Corey had been friends for almost 7 years and seriously dating for 3. At first, the friendship had sparked because both Dean and Corey felt like outsiders. A year later, the two were dating and both seemed to be much happier than before.

Of course, the couple wasn't without problems. Corey's illness still flared up sometimes and several times she'd had to go to the hospital for treatment. But Dean was always with her when that happened, trying to help in any way he could.

And then there was Dean himself. When the ghost had cursed him, it had caused the muscles in his lower legs to get weaker. At first, Dean had been okay with just wearing the leg braces even though at school it caused a fair amount of teasing and harassment from the other students. Eventually, though, that had died away as Dean started making friends. But almost 3 years ago, he started having more and more trouble walking, necessitating the use of a pair of forearm crutches in addition to the braces.

"Mr. Winchester!"

Sam jerked out of his thoughts when his science teacher shouted and gave her his best puppy-dog look before muttering, "Sorry."

The teacher didn't say anything else but just gave Sam a 'pay attention' look before going back to the lesson.

xxxxx

After school, Kelly and Sam shared a brief kiss before Kelly went to meet her friends on the bus.

Sam, meanwhile, headed towards the curb where a gleaming black '67 Chevy Impala was parked. Leaning against the front of the car on the passenger's side, wearing his dad's old leather jacket, was Dean. He also leaned on his crutches, one foot on the asphalt of the school's driveway while the other was propped up on the edge of the curb. And even as used to it as he was, Sam's eyes were still drawn to the supportive braces on his brother's legs.

The braces were actually in two parts—the larger brace which started mid-thigh and ended at mid-calf was worn over Dean's jeans and supported his knee while the more discreet ankle brace could be hidden by the legs of his pants and the custom sneakers Dean wore.

"How was school?" Dean asked, giving his brother a grin.

"Not bad," Sam replied with a shrug and he tossed his bag in the backseat. He tried to keep Dean from noticing his stares but when Sam straightened up, he saw his brother's look.

"Don't say it, Sammy," Dean said with more of a snap in his voice than he'd intended. Seeing Sam's hurt expression, he wordlessly dug the car keys out of his pocket and handed them over before getting into the Impala.

Once Sam was behind the wheel, he started the car and drove out of the parking lot and out onto the road. When Dean started to turn on the radio, Sam immediately switched it off, earning an aggravated huff from his brother. "Hey, Dean," Sam began, not quite sure of what to say. But sensing that Dean really didn't want to talk about the problems with his legs, Sam switched gears and asked, "So when are you popping the question to Casey?"

Dean was quiet for a while as he thought about the question. In truth it had been something he'd been thinking about for several months now—ever since he'd turned 20. He and Casey loved each other and they fit so well together as a couple.

But dating and being married were two very different things—especially when you factored in Dean's leg muscle disorder and Casey's lupus.

Casey knew that there was nothing that could be done for her disease and on more than one occasion she had insisted that she wouldn't be hurt or offended if Dean broke up with her.

Of course, there were plenty of times when Dean had said the same thing, stating that his leg weakness was progressive and would get much worse as time went on.

Pulling himself out of his thoughts and looking at Sam, Dean just shrugged. "I don't know, Sam. We haven't really talked about it. Mostly these days… we just try to avoid breaking up."

Knowing how his older brother felt about 'chick-flick moments', Sam was reluctant to ask, but curiosity got the better of him and he asked, "You guys aren't really splitting up, are you?"

"Not this week," Dean replied, shaking his head. Changing the subject, he grinned as he asked, "So… Big track meet Saturday. You nervous?"

Sam started to shake his head but then stopped when he caught his brother's look. Knowing that he didn't have Dean fooled one bit, Sam shrugged. "I'm not nervous, exactly." Glancing at his brother again, he added, "Okay, I'm scared as Hell, alright?"

Dean laughed again and after a moment or two, Sam's laughter joined his.

xxxxxxx

"What do we got on that dead Marine?" Gibbs asked as he entered the squad room at NCIS, looking first at his partner, John Winchester, and then at Jenny Sheppard, the newest Special Agent on the team.

"A confession, believe it or not," Jen said with a slight smile. "I went back to talk to the lieutenant's CO to ask him about the affair with Lieutenant Vale's wife and he told me everything." Holding up a file, she added, "Just finishing my report now."

Gibbs nodded, wordlessly. He'd been worried that they'd still be spinning their wheels on this case by the weekend and he and John would miss the Tri-State Track Final. Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania would all be competing and Sam and Kelly were amongst those students chosen from the Anacostia High School Track Team to compete in the tri-state finals.

Sitting at his desk, the Senior Field Agent looked at a picture of Kelly tacked up on the wall next to his desk. Shannon had snapped the photo just as Kelly had launched herself at her father, wrapping her arms around his neck in an ecstatic hug. Gibbs smiled as he studied the picture. Every day—since Kelly was 8—he woke up and for one split second, wondered if it was all just some wonderful, crazy dream that was all going to come crashing down on him.

But every time he held Shannon in his arms or kissed her good morning or saw Kelly smiling at him, her blue eyes sparkling, Gibbs knew that this was not a dream and he was grateful for every second he had with his family.

"You're going to the meet?" John asked, noticing the photo Jethro was looking at.

"Kelly made me swear I'd be there," Gibbs replied, nodding as he finished up his own paperwork. "Even if it meant leaving in the middle of a case."

Across the bullpen, John finished up his own work and glanced over at Jen who caught his eye and gave him a wink in reply. He'd asked her last week if she'd wanted to come to the track meet and cheer Sam and Kelly on and she'd said 'yes'… and then she'd asked him if he'd wanted to get away for a few days. After all, they had that assignment in Paris that would be starting the following week.

"Am I missing something?" Gibbs asked, looking from John to Jen and back again. He saw the looks that passed between the two agents and tried not to smile. He remembered looking at Shannon that way when they were younger. And in all likelihood, a relationship between John and Jen wouldn't work out, but as Gibbs packed up and grabbed his jacket, preparing to leave for the day, he figured he'd just wait and watch for a while to see just what would happen.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Saturday arrived with blinding sunshine and balmy temperatures.

Inside an arena about 4 hours out of Washington, DC, the track was ready and cheer squads positioned themselves around the edge of the track, ready to root for their respective schools.

In the stands, parents and students wore t-shirts or held posters and banners stating which students and teams they were rooting for.

Positioned right above the cheerleaders from Anacostia High School, Gibbs, Shannon, John, Jen, Dean, and Corey watched Sam and Kelly as the two warmed up and stretched.

x

Across the way, a young blonde woman watched Sam Winchester as he got ready for the race.

Ruby wasn't sure of how she was going to get things back on track. 7 years ago—before John Winchester killed Azazel—this would have been much easier. But now she had to do a lot more manipulating to try and push Sam back into the dark world of demons and monsters.

And John… That son of a bitch bastard John Winchester was the goddamned wrench in the works screwing everything up.

Thinking about the whole situation, a new plan started to form in Ruby's mind. One that would kill two birds with one stone—eliminate John Winchester and get the apocalypse back on track. But how to do it?

More importantly, how to do it without drawing too much attention to herself? She would have to force John to make a deal, she concluded after a while. The man had a fucking Achilles' heel the size of a Mack truck when it came to his sons and as Ruby thought about the best way to manipulate the situation, she glanced at Sam's friends and family—specifically Dean.

Of course… If Sam were injured badly enough, his father would do anything to save him.

Ruby watched as the meet began and her eyes fixed on Sam's body as he ran. Damaging such a fine male form would be a shame, so any obvious physical injury was out. But something subtle… something life-altering that Sam wouldn't be able to ignore…

And as Sam Winchester narrowly won the track meet and his teammates and supporters erupted in cheers, the final pieces of Ruby's plan finally fell into place and a clever smile spread across her face.

xxx

That evening, there was a huge party for the winning team in the banquet hall on the 3rd floor of the arena and as much fun as Sam was having, he couldn't stop glancing over at his brother who was just sitting at one of the tables, nursing a bottle of soda and watching the party.

It wasn't fair, Sam thought to himself for the umpteenth time. Dean had always been there to help him out but Sam was powerless to help his brother with his own problems.

"Everything okay?" Kelly asked, sidling up to her boyfriend and giving him a light bump with her left shoulder and a smile.

Sam nodded wordlessly at he watched Corey sitting down with Dean, saying something indistinguishable. After a while, he said, "Dean's legs are getting worse. He hasn't said anything about it, but he's limping a lot more these days. And Dad doesn't like him driving anymore just in case…" He didn't say 'in case' what, but the deeper meaning was obvious. Looking at Kelly, his brown eyes full of sadness, Sam added, "I just wish there was something I could do for him, you know? Dean has done so much for me. I'd give anything to be able to help him."

Kelly didn't say anything but she pulled Sam into a hug, wrapping her arms around his neck, even though she had to go up on her toes to do so. When Sam hugged her back, she smiled into his shoulder and said, "You'll get through this, Sam. I know you will."

While Corey went to help herself to the buffet that was laid out and talk to her sister who had just arrived at the party, Shannon Gibbs made her way over to the table Dean was sitting at and sat down next to him. "I know it's been hard on you and Corey the past few years," she began when Dean gave her a curious look. "I mean, just the two of you dealing with Corey's illness is hard enough but dealing with her lupus and your muscle disorder…" Putting a warm, comforting hand on Dean's arm, Shannon gave the young man a smile and added, "The two of you need each other. You love each other and no matter how good the argument is, you and Corey just can't split up. And I think that says something as to just how strong your relationship is."

Reaching into her pocket, Shannon pulled out an old engagement ring and handed it to Dean. "This was my grandmother's. They were married for more than 50 years and had probably one of the best marriages I've ever known."

Dean held the ring for a moment and looked at Shannon a touch surprised. "You're not my mom, you know," he said, lightly. "You don't have to do this."

Shannon laughed and gave Dean's shoulder a loving squeeze. "I know, Dean. But I also know that you and Sam are family. Besides," she added, giving a brief nod to Sam and Kelly who were sharing a kiss at one of the corner tables. "—someday we'll probably be in-laws."

Without saying another word, Shannon stood and gave Dean's shoulder one last squeeze before she went over to John and Jethro who were talking while sipping drinks. Gibbs saw the smile on his wife's face and raised an eyebrow as he asked, "Something I should know about?"

Shannon shrugged in reply and silently watched Dean as he waited until Corey came back to the table with a loaded plate and a bottle of water before slowly getting up from his chair and going down on one knee.

x

Dean had thought about what he'd say when he'd finally ask Cordelia Adler to marry him. He'd thought about the situation and the method of proposing…

But as he'd studied the ring that had belonged to Shannon Gibbs' grandmother, Dean decided to pass on all the ideas he'd had before. Even as he slowly went down on one knee he knew it was a bad idea and there was a really, _really_ good chance he wouldn't be able to get back up without help.

But if he was going to ask his girlfriend to marry him with almost 100 people in the room, then Dean was going to have to make sure he did this right. Sure enough, as soon as the other students and their families had seen him standing before kneeling, they all stopped talking or whatever and turned in the direction of Dean and Corey's table.

Looking at the only girlfriend he'd ever had, Dean took Corey's hands in his and said, "For about 10 years I felt like an outsider. I was always going from school to school, never staying in one place for very long. Until I met you, I never even had a real friend. Someone I could really talk to."

Corey's eyes shone with tears as she looked at Dean. She knew how he felt because ever since she'd been sick, she'd felt the same way.

Dean paused a second and went on, trying not to mess up his words. "I love you, Corey. I love everything about you and no matter how bad a day I'm having or… You're always there for me. And I never want that to go away. I want us to always be there for each other." Holding out the ring, he asked, "Cordelia Adler… will you marry me?"

Tears fell down Corey's cheeks and she couldn't even find her voice as she let Dean slide the ring onto her the ring finger of her left hand. After a while, she nodded and beamed as she said, "Yes. Yes, Dean, I'll marry you!"

Cheers and applause rang through the room as Corey and Dean shared a passionate kiss but after a minute, Dean's smile faded, replaced with a pained look. When Corey looked concerned, Dean said, quietly, "Damn it… I can't get up."

As if he'd heard his brother from across the room, Sam rushed over and together, he and Corey helped Dean to his feet. Looking at his dad who had hurried over along with Shannon and Gibbs, Sam said, "Hey, Dad, I think I'm going to get Dean home."

"You sure you're okay?" John asked his older son as Dean leaned on his crutches.

Dean nodded, quickly. In truth, he wasn't okay, but right now he just wanted to go home to the apartment he shared with Corey and stretch out in the reclining chair. "I'm fine, Dad. Really," he assured the older Winchester.

"Hey, I'll go with you guys," Kelly said, quickly, grabbing her bag and slinging it over her shoulder and following her boyfriend, Dean, and Corey out of the room after a hasty good-bye to her parents.

John rubbed his face with one hand, not liking the odd sinking feeling in his gut. On the one hand, he was over the moon about Dean getting married. Corey was a good person and she'd been great at helping Dean deal with the muscle disorder slowly weakening his legs. Feeling someone take his hand, he turned to see Jen standing next to him, a gentle and reassuring smile on her face.

"You still want to get away for a while?" Jen asked, knowing that John was thinking more about his sons than romance.

But John just nodded resolutely and after making excuses to leave, he and Jen headed for a nearby hotel where most of the out-of-town track meet families were staying.

Unbeknownst to the retired hunter and his girlfriend, Shannon and Jethro had decided to make similar plans.

xxxxxxxxx

In Corey's car, Sam sat in the rear passenger seat with Kelly on his left. While Kelly had fallen asleep almost immediately, Sam was wide awake as he watched his brother driving.

It was getting late and the sun had just fully set on the vast empty stretch of Virginia countryside. The moon was full and the sky was clear so the fields and hills were bathed in moonlight as Dean followed the winding road. Sure, the interstates were faster but they were also more congested and one of the things Dean had always loved about when he was little was the long drives on two-lane asphalt.

After a while, even Sam nodded off, his head lulling against the window.

Next to Dean, in the front passenger seat of the car, even Corey had her eyes closed.

As he started to go through the intersection up ahead, Dean's last thought before the truck slammed into his side of the car was how perfect the evening had been.

xx

The truck was a heavy-duty pick-up and behind the wheel, Ruby kept her foot on the gas pedal for a moment until—as she'd hoped—momentum sent the old Ford four-door right into the one solitary tree along the side of the road.

Getting out of the truck, the demon went over to the car and looked at the unconscious inhabitants. From what she could see, Dean's right leg looked like it was pinned because of the leg brace and his left knee was grotesquely twisted. In the passenger seat, Corey Adler was bleeding from a bad cut above her left eye and her nose was clearly broken. Going to the backseat, Ruby smiled evilly as she wrenched open the door and saw Kelly Gibbs' broken left arm. The girl had been lucky, apparently, as she didn't seem to have any other injuries.

Grabbing Kelly's arm at the elbow, Ruby twisted the limb sharply, making the injury worse before withdrawing a knife and cutting up the teenager's face a little bit. Not enough to make the young redhead grotesque, but enough that the scars would always be noticeable.

And then Ruby moved on to Sam who was somehow still somewhat semi-conscious.

"Who's… there…?" Sam muttered, trying to move to see who had opened his door. He could feel the cool, nighttime air…could hear an owl hooting and crickets chirping…but he couldn't see anything. "I can't see you…"

"Perfect," a female voice said, sounding happy. "I couldn't have planned this any better."

There was a sharp burst of pain as something hit Sam right in the eyes before he was finally consumed by unconsciousness.


	6. Chapter 6

AUTHOR'S NOTES: So as it turns out, the writers of 'Supernatural'—and Eric Kripke—haven't decided if there's going to be a season 8 yet _to my knowledge_. (If someone knows differently, please share with the class. On the other hand, I've got a rock salt loaded shotgun that says the show's going to keep putting out seasons until we—the fans—tell them to stop. (To the SPN fans-Shotguns on the right, salt on the left, and please grab your torches and pitchforks as you join the queue to march up to Kripke's front door.)

Now—next story update will be to 'Pieces of the Whole' which I am finishing notes for.

As far as this story, this chapter is the aftermath of Ruby-Yes, THAT Ruby-crashing into Sam, Dean, Corey, and Kelly. I also figured out what happened to Casey, so to speak, since I cut her out of the last chapter.

And to NCIS fans, I know I fudged some details on Shannon Gibbs' parents names, but hopefully you'll forgive me.

Chapter 6

* * *

><p>The sun was just starting to rise over the distant tree line when the police and rescue crews arrived at the accident scene, quickly starting the work of freeing the 4 people from inside the wrecked car.<p>

Metro police ran the plates of both cars and while the pick-up truck had been reported stolen the night before, DC Metro Detective Grace Hart froze when she saw the IDs on the four people in the car. "Shit," Hart said, looking at her partner. The other detective looked at her and frowned.

"What is it?" Detective Kurt Browning asked, looking over Hart's shoulder. "Ah, fuck," he groaned, looking at the IDs.

"Three of the victims are the kids of NCIS agents and Miss Adler's parents are two of the biggest socialites in DC," Hart said, looking from the driver's licenses to the wreckage. "The press is going to have a field day when they catch wind of this."

Over in the car, the paramedics worked swiftly at loading Corey, Kelly, and Sam into ambulances as the fire crew tried to free Dean from the car.

Brian Jenks had been an EMT for almost 30 years and no matter what he tried, the young man in the driver's seat remained pinned. Looking up at the other two paramedics standing on the other side of the car, Brian expression was pained as he said, "I can't get the kid's leg to budge. We're gonna have to… to cut him out."

There was a split second pause as everyone took those words in, but they all knew that if they wanted to save Dean's life, there wasn't really much of a choice.

* * *

><p>"20-year-old female—facial lacerations and contusions. Responsive to pain but negative on reflex response below the navel. Tibia and patellar fractures of the left leg."<p>

As the ER doctors worked on Corey—taking x-rays and checking for internal injuries—they rattled off her condition and stats, double checking vitals and making sure the surgeons were ready for her.

When the scans came back showing no internal injuries there was a collective sigh of relief which was offset by the spinal x-rays which showed fractures of two of Corey's lumbar vertebrae.

As she was transported up to the surgical floor, Corey briefly started to regain consciousness and one of the nurses squeezed her hand as the young woman said, softly, "I can't move my legs."

x

"17-year-old male—facial lacerations and contusions. Pupils equal but unresponsive. Likely head trauma."

Sam woke up in the ER and panic filled him when all he saw was black.

"It's okay, son," a female voice said, putting a firm, yet reassuring, hand on his shoulder. "Can you tell me your name?"

Sam managed to take a few deep breaths and finally said, "Sam. Sam Winchester."

"And do you know where you are?" the female voice asked.

"Hospital?" Sam replied, trying to ignore the massive headache building. A memory swiftly came to the surface of his mind and he said, quickly, "There was someone… after the crash. Sh-she hit me in the face. She said she planned everything."

There was silence for a moment and then another voice—a male this time—said, "Okay, Sam. We're going to send you up to radiology to get some images of your brain and then if you're up to it, we'll make sure the police talk to you, okay?"

Sam nodded, wishing he could see what was going on. But before the doctors and nurses took his out of the room, he asked, "Wait—where's my brother? He was in the car. He was driving. Is he okay?"

"I don't know, Sam," another voice said. "As soon as we know something we'll let you know."

x

"16-year-old female—inflicted facial lacerations and multiple fractures and dislocations of the left arm."

The cuts on Kelly's face were NOT from the accident. That much had been clear. After the accident someone had _deliberately_ sliced up her face.

There were a lot of sympathetic looks from the doctors and nurses as they worked on the teenager. It was obvious that the lacerations would require numerous stitches, but it was Kelly's injured arm that was the most alarming. There was no pulse or pain response in the limb and after insuring that her condition was stabilized, she was swiftly sent up to surgery.

Blaine Jeffries, a seasoned ER doctor of 57 years of age, looked pissed as he yanked his gloves off and tossed them in the nearest trash can before kicking it. When one of the nurses looked at him with alarm, Blaine huffed in frustration. "I want the son of a bitch who smashed into those kids' car," he snapped. "Because whoever it was just mutilated that poor girl and cost her her whole goddamn arm!"

"Blaine," another doctor said, poking her head into the trauma room. "Last crash victim just pulled up. You thought that teenage girl was bad? This guy's worse."

x

"20-year-old male—field amputation of the right leg and multiple fractures of the left leg including dislocating fracture of the left knee. Left elbow also shattered along with multiple rib fractures and likely fracture of the sternum."

On the way from the accident site to the hospital, Dean had stopped breathing and had been intubated en route. Once in the ER, the nurses quickly removed the brace from his left leg, alarmed when they couldn't find an ankle pulse.

The doctors worked on Dean and sent him to surgery with lightning speed. Once Blaine had stripped off his gloves again, he went to the front desk and looked at the nurse at the desk. "When the parents of the crash victims get in, page me. I'll be in the cafeteria."

The nurse nodded and watched Blaine head down the hallway. He was one of those gruff teddy bear-type doctors that always looked tough but he always treated his younger patients like they were his own kids.

"Hey, Sonia," Ruby Dawes said as she came in, her bag slung over her shoulder. "Heard we had a multiple victim crash. How awful!"

* * *

><p>4 hours later, Blaine stood in the doorway of the surgical waiting room and took a deep breath before stepping inside. "Families of Sam and Dean Winchester, Kelly Gibbs, and Corey Adler?" he said, looking at the assembled group. He'd checked in on the crash victims only half an hour before and had volunteered to update the kids' families on their conditions.<p>

The group of 6 stood around the waiting room, anxious looks on all of their faces. John Winchester was holding the hand of a very attractive redheaded woman and there was a shiny new engagement ring on the ring finger of her left hand. "How are my boys?" John asked, quickly, hoping there was some good news.

"Sam's being admitted with facial lacerations and contusions," Blaine began, hating the news he had to deliver to these parents—especially considering the engagement ring on the older girl-Corey's-hand. "His MRI and CT scans showed no bleeding in his brain, but there's substantial injury to the optic nerves."

John tensed at the news as he tried not to think of the worst case scenario. "So… Can Sam still see, or…?"

Blaine shook his head. "There's a very, _very_ slim chance Sam might regain his vision but the longer the blindness lasts, the greater the odds are that it'll be permanent." The doctor gave Sam's father a moment or two to take that in before going on. "The nurses are getting Sam settled into his room if you want to go see him shortly."

"What about Dean?" John asked. He'd been told earlier that the paramedics had had to do a field amputation of Dean's right leg to get him out of the car and that his other leg was in really bad shape. How would the kid take the news that he'd lost both legs as a result of the crash?

The doctor didn't sugarcoat as he said, "Dean's ribs have been set and the sternum fracture was just a hairline fracture so he should recover just fine from those injuries. However, the surgeons said that the damage to Dean's left leg was too severe and they had to remove the limb." Seeing John Winchester's expression, Blaine added, "I'm sorry. I wish I had better news."

"What about Kelly and Corey?" Shannon Gibbs asked. She knew both girls had been badly hurt and there was something about the way the doctor was looking from one parent to another that made her uneasy. "Dr. Jeffries? What is it?"

Blaine should have known better than to try and hide his feelings from the wife of a federal agent and he took a moment before he said, "I'm not a cop. But I've seen a lot working in the ER and I don't believe the crash was entirely an accident." Looking at John Winchester, Shannon and Jethro Gibbs, and Nora and Victor Adler, Blaine made sure each of them understood what he was saying before he added, "This was intentional."

"You're saying that someone _deliberately _smashed into my daughter's car and sent those kids into that tree?" Victor said, looking both angry and horrified. "That someone _wanted_ to hurt Cordelia?"

"Or it could have been someone trying to attack Sam, Dean, or Kelly since they were in the car as well," Blaine went on, quickly.

"Who do you think was the target?" John asked, running through his mental list of all the enemies he'd made both as a hunter and as an NCIS agent. Of course it was entirely possible that the perpetrator was someone with a grudge against Gibbs or the Adlers. Someone who was angry with Corey for getting engaged to Dean? But that didn't make any sense because Corey was the first and only girl Dean had ever dated.

But Blaine Jefferies just shook his head. "I honestly couldn't say. What I _do_ know is that Sam and Kelly were the only ones hurt _after_ the crash."

"Say again?" Gibbs said, eyes narrowed.

"Someone hit Sam in the face after the accident," the doctor explained. "It's what caused the extensive damage to Sam's optic nerves." Turning to Shannon and Jethro Gibbs, he added, "And they also wrenched Kelly's elbow and shoulder right out of joint before using a knife on her face." Looking sympathetic, he went on. "The cuts will heal, although there will likely be scarring—even with plastic surgery later. But unfortunately, the surgeons couldn't save Kelly's arm."

Shannon gasped and slowly sank down into one of the chairs, her face buried in her hands. Nora sat next to her and put her arms around her friend in a comforting embrace. "When can Vic and I see our daughter?" Nora asked, looking at Dr. Jefferies.

"Corey is still in surgery," Blaine replied. "It'll be at least another two hours."

"How bad?" Victor asked, hoping his daughter's injuries weren't too severe.

"She broke her back in the crash," the ER doctor explained. "Left leg as well."

"Is she paralyzed?" Victor asked, his mind automatically bringing up the worst case scenario. It had been hard at first, dealing with Corey's lupus diagnosis. Some days it was even harder given the effects of her disease—the joint pain, heart and lung problems… Even the idea of dealing with Corey's illness along with a serious and permanent disability made Victor feel sick to his stomach.

Blaine shook his head, trying to look positive. "Right now your daughter is experiencing a loss of motor function below the waist," he explained. "She can't move her legs, but she does still have full sensation. Trust me, that's a positive sign. It would be more worrisome if she was completely paralyzed. And the leg fractures are clean breaks so Corey should recover well from that."

xxxxxxxx

"Sam?"

Sam sat up quickly in his hospital bed, ignoring his headache getting worse as he did so. "Dad? Is that you?"

"Yeah, it's me," John replied, putting a hand on his youngest son's shoulder. "How are you feeling, Sammy?"

Usually Sam hated being called 'Sammy' but this was one of those rare moments that the nickname was a comfort. When he was Sammy, that meant that his father and brother would do everything in their power to fix whatever was wrong.

Except this time Sam's problems couldn't be fixed. "I've still got kind of a headache," Sam replied, avoiding the obvious. But when he could practically feel his father staring him down, Sam snapped, "Dad, I'm blind! How am I _supposed_ to feel?"

"Look, Sam, you'll get through this, okay?" John insisted, wishing he could think of something more encouraging to say.

Sam sighed and gave a wordless shrug before asking, "Is Dean okay? What about Kelly and Corey?"

John let out a sigh of his own and rubbed his face with one hand. He didn't want to drop Dean's condition on Sam right now—especially since the kid was angry about the loss of his sight. But seeing Sam's expectant look, the older Winchester replied, "Dean's got some rib fractures… hairline crack to the sternum… But the worst was his legs."

Sam leaned back against the back of the hospital bed, guilt swallowing him up. "It's my fault, Dad. Dean wanted to drive. He said he was okay even though his legs were bad. I should have stopped him."

"Sam, it's not your fault," John pressed. "Someone slammed into the car and sent you guys into that tree." He didn't add the 'on purpose' that was running through his mind but he knew that Sam could hear it in his voice. The kid had always been very perceptive that way.

"Wait, what do you mean 'was'?" Sam asked, suddenly, as his father's words about Dean's condition started registering. "You said Dean's worst injury _was_ to his legs." Horror and further guilt started settling on his face as he said, "Did Dean…? Did the doctors have to…?"

John wanted to tell his son anything but the truth but he also knew that he had to say it. "The paramedics had to cut Dean out of the car because his left leg was pinned because of the brace. And his right leg was too messed up to save." John felt tears burning his eyes as he thought of Dean losing both legs but he wouldn't allow himself to audibly cry. Right now that would likely push Sam right over the edge.

Father and son remained in silence for almost 10 minutes until a thought occurred to Sam. "Hey, Dad?"

"Yeah, Sammy?" John asked.

Sam paused a moment and then he said, "Since Dean's muscle disorder just affected the muscles of his _lower_ legs, maybe once he gets walking with prosthetics he won't need the crutches any more. Maybe he'll be able to be kinda normal again."

"I hadn't thought of that," John replied, nodding pensively. "Maybe you're right."

"Dad?" Sam said again after another long pause.

"Yeah, Sammy," John replied quickly, just in case his youngest son thought he had gone from the room.

"Do… Do you think Kelly's still going to want to be with me even if I can't see?" Sam asked, thinking of his girlfriend.

His thoughts going to Gibbs' only child and the fact that the poor girl would spend the rest of her life scarred and without her left arm, John replied, "I think Kelly's going to need you to help her, Sam… especially the next couple months."

Sitting up straighter, Sam asked, "Dad, what are you talking about? What happened to Kelly?"

xxxxx

Leroy Jethro Gibbs' anger was _barely_ contained as he watched Kelly be moved from Recovery to a room in the ICU right next door to where Corey and Dean were.

Looking at where his daughter's left arm had been, Gibbs clenched his jaw and fists. Someone had done this to his child. He wanted to find them and make them pay. He'd killed Pedro Hernandez for attempting to kill his family—it wouldn't be too much trouble to hunt down whoever had driven that truck the other night.

As the family of a victim, Gibbs knew that under normal circumstances, he wouldn't be allowed anywhere near the NCIS investigation into the crash. But the Adlers had raised a royal fuss—even going so far as personally calling the Director of NCIS—insisting that Gibbs, John Winchester, and Jenny Sheppard be the lead investigators.

Therefore, Jenny was back at NCIS working with the new forensic scientist on the crime scene evidence.

Even as pissed off and worried as he was, the thought of 25-year-old Abigail—Abby—Scuito made Gibbs smile ever so slightly.

Abby hadn't looked anything like a scientist when she'd been hired last month, but the girl was quick, sharp, smart, and an absolute genius with computers.

If anyone could figure out who had smashed into Kelly and the others, it was Abby.

Hearing his new cell phone ringing, Gibbs answered quickly, hoping it was good news.

"Gibbs, Gibbs, Gibbs!" Abby's hyper voice said, quickly.

"What do you got, Abbs?" Gibbs asked, making a mental note to try and get the girl to cut down on the caffeine.

"Okay, remember when you said that John Winchester had experience with weird stuff?" Abby went on in her usual rapid-fire speed. "Well, I found something in the evidence from the crash and it is _definitely_ weird."

xxxxxxxxxx

Even though all mothers said it from time to time, Shannon truly believed that she had one of the most beautiful daughters in the world.

Kelly had always been pretty with her mother's red hair and her father's blue eyes. But when she smiled, she was a gorgeous blending of her parents.

Looking at her daughter as she lay unconscious in the hospital bed, Shannon couldn't help staring at the lines of stitches across Kelly's face and the mess of bandages where her left arm had been.

Sitting in a chair on Kelly's right side, Shannon couldn't help crying as she tentatively reached out a hand to brush her little girl's cheek. The doctors had said that plastic surgery would be able to cover most of the scars but they would still be noticeable, even with the best surgeons, and that was assuming that there wasn't any damage to the facial nerves.

Because her arm had been amputated at the shoulder joint itself, it was unclear at the moment if Kelly would be able to use a prosthetic later on. Currently, most designs of artificial limbs required at least an 8 inch stump—which excluded Kelly.

"Shannon?"

Looking up, Shannon was surprised to see her parents and Gibbs' father standing in the doorway. "Mom, Dad? What are you guys doing here?"

"Leroy called the other night after Kelly won that track meet," Jackson Gibbs replied with a polite smile. "I called Joann and Kyle before I came here."

Joanna watched her daughter stand and gave her a warm hug along with Kyle and Jackson. Looking at her granddaughter, Joanna said, softly, "Oh, my word… The poor child."

"Don't you worry," Jackson insisted with a reassuring smile. "Kelly's a tough kid. She made it through that crash when she was 8. I know she'll make it through this, too." Looking at Shannon with a knowing look, he added, "She is Leroy's daughter after all."

"So where is Jethro anyway?" Joanna asked with something of a snap to her voice. "As much as he says he loves Kelly, I'd have thought he'd be glued to her side right now."

"Mom!" Shannon exclaimed a little too loudly.

"Alright, now enough, you two," Kyle said, quickly.

But Shannon wasn't about to be calmed down. "Jethro got a call from NCIS about some lead on the crash. He went to go check on how the investigation is going. He'll find the person who did this, Mom."

"Really?" Joanna said, doubtfully. "He never found that drug dealer that almost killed you and Kelly. What makes you so sure he's going to find the driver of that truck?"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Nora and Victor Adler had married young—to the chagrin of their parents—and had moved to Washington DC. And even though both their families came from money, the couple never acted as though they were better than anyone else.

When Corey and Casey had been born, their parents had never spoiled them, ensuring that both girls grew up with a strong sense of morals and values.

Even when Corey had been diagnosed with lupus, Nora and Victor had tried to keep their daughter's life as normal as possible, insisting that she still go to school, even when Corey's hair had completely fallen out.

Now Corey was lying in a hospital bed, her left leg in a cast up to her mid-thigh. She wore a back and neck brace as well to keep her from moving too much and aggravating the injuries to her spine.

Nora wished she could do more for her daughter than just sitting next to her bed, but she also knew that right now there really wasn't anything she could do to speed up her daughter's recovery. All she could do was keep watch over Corey while Victor tried once again to get a hold of Casey.

After graduating high school, Casey had joined the Navy and now worked as a mechanic on an aircraft carrier. And while Nora and Victor couldn't be prouder of their daughter, this was one of those times they wished Casey had a local deployment.

"Honey?" Victor said as he stood in the doorway of the room. When Nora looked up, he gave his wife a slight smile before stepping inside the room so she could see the person standing behind him. "There was someone from the Navy Yard who wanted to stop by."

Casey didn't get a chance to speak before she was enveloped in a hug from her mother. "I missed you too, Mom," she said as she hugged back. When her mom let go after almost a full minute, she asked, "How's Corey doing?"

"She's still unconscious from surgery," Nora replied, sitting next to Corey's bed again. "Doctors said she'll likely be out until tomorrow."

Casey just nodded for a moment, not sure of what to say as she looked at her twin sister. Who the Hell would have wanted to hurt Corey? She was one of the nicest people on the planet, for cryin' out loud! "So is she going to be okay?"

"We don't know yet," Victor replied, simply. "Corey broke her back so… But the doctors seem to think she'll recover eventually."

Casey just nodded for a moment, thinking things over. She hated seeing her sister like this. The wig Corey usually wore was gone and the top of her head was tagged with healing scratches and one 7 inch cut marked with black stitches.

Nora looked at her other daughter and after a while, she asked, "So when do you have to report back, honey?"

Casey sat on her sister's other side and shrugged. "I'm on a two week leave but I'm going to talk to my CO about staying local for a while."

"Sweetheart, you don't have to—" Victor began but he stopped when he saw the set look in Casey's eyes. Deciding not to try and talk her out of it—since it was fairly obvious that his other daughter obviously felt guilty for not being around more—Vic instead said, "But it would be great to have you home more."

"And actually," Casey went on, thoughtfully. "I've been thinking that I might want to work for NCIS."


	7. Chapter 7

AUTHOR'S NOTES: In this chapter, Sam, Dean, Corey, and Kelly face their injuries and the aftermath of the accident. Meanwhile, Ruby plans and we get our first real face-time with the one and only Abby Scuito.

Chapter 7

* * *

><p>Walking into Abby Scuito's lab was very similar to walking into Willy Wonka's lab if the man had happened to be a forensic scientist. It was a strange and eclectic mix of artwork, goth decorations, and enough candy containers to maintain a sugar high for a very long time.<p>

Even Abby herself was a contradiction. She was wicked smart and mostly dressed in black. There was a dog collar around her neck and she wore spiky wrist bands.

The look sometimes put people off which was always amusing to Gibbs because Abby was one of the friendliest people he had ever met.

As Gibbs entered the lab, he saw that John and Jen were already there. John looked like he'd just been punched in the gut and Gibbs could understand the feeling. Jenny Sheppard was also looking upset by the whole situation, but there was a look of determination as she looked from Gibbs to her fiancé.

"Gibbs!" Abby exclaimed as she hugged Gibbs, suddenly, barely giving the man time to prepare himself. Getting hugged by Abby Scuito was sometimes equivalent to being suddenly hugged by an octopus since the young woman could deliver a pretty strong bear hug for someone her size. "I am so so sorry, Gibbs. I can't believe someone would deliberately hurt Kelly like that." Letting go quickly, she turned around and embraced John just as quickly as she'd had Gibbs. "And Sam and Dean, too…" Pulling away, she looked at both fathers as she added, "I promise we're going to find who did this, okay?"

"You said you found something weird in the evidence from the crash?" Gibbs said, bringing the forensic scientist back to the subject at hand.

"First off…" Abby said, going to her computers and bringing up the crash trajectories. "Whoever was driving the truck kept pushing Corey's car until it slammed into the tree."

"Yeah, well, that part we know about, Abbs," John said, gruffly. He knew that Abby was just running through the case, but every time he saw the crash in his mind, he thought about his sons being hurt. "So what did you find?"

Abby grabbed a small evidence jar and held it up so that John, Jen, and Gibbs could see it. "Sulfur," she said simply. "It was found in the cab of the truck."

Immediately, warning bells started going off in John Winchester's brain. Sulfur meant demons and if it was a demon that meant that the actual driver of the car could be anyone. "Tell me you got fingerprints off of the truck," he said, hopefully.

Abby went to her computers where she was running prints from the truck and brought up the results. "Roberta Dawes," Abby said after a moment. "She's a nurse at Waterford County Hospital."

"Shit," John said to himself as he looked at the picture. He remembered the nurse from when Dean was first diagnosed with the muscle disorder. And thinking about more recently, he remembered her being unusually interested in Sam the previous day at the track meet. It had been odd to John that the young nurse would have been at the meet and the way she'd been staring fixedly at his youngest son…

Without saying another word, John headed for the door. He had to find the demon and find out what she wanted with his boys. Trying to turn the door knob, however, he found it locked for some reason.

"Going somewhere?" Abby asked, giving the hunter-turned NCIS agent a piercing look.

"To go talk to that nurse," John said, vaguely, trying the door again. "She hit the kids for a reason."

"Not good enough," Abby replied, crossing her arms and walking up to John, still giving him the same intense look.

It had always amazed John Winchester that someone like Abby Scuito could intimidate even seasoned former Marines like Gibbs or John himself. Even more than that, Abby had a dogged determination. When she wanted a piece of information from you, she would use any means necessary to extract said information. In fact sometimes, Gibbs joked that he should have Abby interrogate the more stubborn suspects.

Knowing all this, John decided to relent. "She was Dean's nurse when he was first diagnosed with the muscle disorder in his legs. And the other day I saw her at Sam and Kelly's track meet."

Now Gibbs' stare joined Abby's as the other agent said, "And when were you going to share this?" When his friend and fellow agent didn't answer, Gibbs just gave him one last look. "Fine. Jen… Go with him to talk to the nurse."

Jen just nodded and once she and her fiancé were out of the lab, Gibbs looked at Abby. The forensic scientist's expression had shifted from piercing and intense to concern. "How bad was it?" she asked, thinking of Sam, Dean, and Kelly.

Gibbs didn't reply and he wanted to just duck out of the room but he knew better than to try it with Abby watching him. "That woman…" he began, fighting to keep the emotion out of his voice and failing miserably. Taking a deep breath, he started over. "That nurse that crashed into the others… She purposely dislocated Kelly's left arm. Wrenched it right out of the socket before cutting up her face with a knife. They couldn't save Kelly's arm."

Abby gasped, bringing her hands up to her mouth in shock. "Sam and Dean?" she asked, horrible images flashing through her mind as she thought about the sons of John Winchester.

Gibbs shook his head. "Sam was blinded in the crash. Dean's elbow was shattered and he lost both legs." Looking at the picture of the young blonde nurse whose picture was still up on the wall monitor, he felt a fresh surge of anger bubbling up. "I want to know why she was after Kelly, Corey, and the Winchesters."

Abby paused as she looked from the picture to Gibbs. She recognized the look in the agent's eyes and asked, "Your gut?"

Gibbs just nodded silently. He didn't want to say anything out loud but as he ran through the case and the crash in his mind, his gut kept telling him that whatever was going on was centered around the Winchesters. Hearing his cell phone ring, he answered it quickly. "Yeah. Gibbs."

"She's awake," Shannon's voice said, simply.

* * *

><p>A soft groan had alerted Shannon that Kelly was regaining consciousness. Sitting on the bed next to her daughter after calling Jethro briefly, she waited until Kelly's eyes opened before she said, "How're you feeling, honey?"<p>

"Mom?" Kelly said, confused. "What happened?" Looking around, she added, "Why am I in the hospital?"

Shannon stiffened ever so slightly before she replied, "You were in an accident the other night coming back from the track meet."

Kelly winced heavily as she tried to sit up. "My arm feels weird. What…?" She stopped as she looked at her left side and took in the bandages covering her shoulder and going across her upper chest. "Oh, God," she said, breathlessly as she stared at where her arm had been. Reaching up a hand to wipe the tears that were starting to stream down her face, she stopped as she felt the lines of stitches across her cheeks and brow. Looking at the window of her hospital room, Kelly gasped as she saw the numerous cuts on her face. "Oh, God, I look like Frankenstein!" she exclaimed, staring at her reflection in the glass.

The look on her daughter's face was heartbreaking as Shannon watched Kelly crying and alternately touching the lacerations to her face and the bandages where her arm had been. "Kelly, honey," Shannon began, even though she didn't have the slightest idea of what to say.

"I look… I look like a… a freak, or something…!" Kelly sobbed. How could this have happened to her? Turning away from the window, she closed her eyes and just cried. It wasn't fair! Why her? Was it because she'd always put too much attention on her looks? And what about her future? Her whole life, Kelly had had one goal—to become a Marine like her father. There was no way that was going to happen now.

"Sweetheart?" Shannon said as she watched Kelly turn away from her. Slowly rubbing her daughter's back, Shannon wished she knew the right thing to say.

"Dad's going to be so disappointed in me," Kelly sniffled, a note of shame in her voice.

That statement made Shannon pause. Why would Jethro be disappointed? Resuming slowly rubbing Kelly's back—something the young woman had always found soothing when she'd been sick or hurt—she asked, "Why on earth would you say that, Kelly?"

Kelly sniffed again as she gingerly rolled so she was facing her mother, trying not to look at the way she avoided staring at Kelly's face and left shoulder. "Because now I'm never going to be a Marine like him."

"Oh, baby," Shannon said, gently hugging her daughter. When Kelly hugged back, Shannon felt tears fall down her own cheeks especially as Kelly gave her a one-armed hug in return.

While most girls went through several different career aspirations during the course of their lives, Kelly had always had one clear, set goal from the time she was 4—to become a member of the United States Marine Corps. She'd never changed her mind on that and every time she spoke about it, Jethro had gotten this warm glow of pride on his face.

In an age where more girls wanted to be actresses and pop singers than doctors or lawyers, Shannon had felt lucky that her little girl had higher dreams—even though the very notion of her only little girl overseas in some war zone made her shiver.

But now, holding her daughter, Shannon wondered what would happen to Kelly's dream. "There's more than one way to be a marine," Shannon reminded Kelly as she pulled away a little to look at her daughter face to face. "You don't have to be in combat. You could teach new recruits… Or be a mechanic."

"I guess," Kelly nodded. Wiping her eyes again, she said, "I'm really tired, Mom."

"Get some rest," Shannon replied, gently, before tucking Kelly in like when she'd been a little girl. When Kelly had fallen asleep, Shannon offered a silent prayer that this would all work out somehow.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Blaine had been a doctor for almost 30 years and if there was one thing he always found fascinating, it was the interactions of siblings who were patients. He'd seen almost every dynamic possible… Or so he'd thought before meeting Sam and Dean Winchester.

Sam's first actual question after waking up after the accident had been about his older brother and according to the nurses, Sam had insisted on being in the same room as Dean once his older brother came out of surgery. "He'll worry if I'm not there," Sam had insisted.

Standing in the doorway, watching as Sam Winchester sat next to his older brother's bed, Blaine Jeffries shook his head silently in wonder and amazement. For a moment, Dean's heart rate had started to rise higher than it should have been for someone unconscious, but as soon as Sam had started talking to him, the numbers had quickly returned to normal. The two boys had a connection usually only seen in twins, even though Dean was 4 years older than his brother.

"S'mmy?"

Blaine hurried over to Dean who slowly opened his eyes and looked around. "Dean, can you tell me where you are?" Blaine asked as he did a quick neuro check on the older Winchester.

"Sammy, you okay?" Dean asked again, looking at his brother, his eyes full of worry as he noticed Sam's unfocused gaze. He didn't bother to tell the doctor that the more important question was 'who' rather than 'where'. Glancing at the doc, Dean kinda got the feeling like the older man already knew this which explained why he didn't repeat the question and instead answered Dean's.

"Sam experienced some head trauma in the car accident you were in," Blaine explained to Dean whose attention was fixed on Sam. "It caused severe damage to his optic nerves. Right now it's very unclear whether or not the blindness will be permanent."

Dean looked at his little brother—well, not so little, he reminded himself—and ruffled Sam's hair with his good hand. "We'll deal with it, Sammy," Dean promised. When Sam looked unsure of that, Dean asked the doctor, "How soon can I get out of here, Doc?"

Blaine suppressed the desire to roll his eyes at the young man and instead replied, "Not for at least 8 weeks, son. In case you may or may not have noticed, you literally don't have a leg to stand on. And you can't start physical therapy until your arm comes out of the cast."

Dean's expression darkened. "Yeah, I noticed," he snapped, angrily, as he managed to sit up some despite his left arm being in a full cast. He wanted to say something else, but seeing Sam's look, he sighed, forcing his anger down. "I just want to get out of here."

Sam didn't say anything, but he knew his brother only too well and the attitude was common when Dean was feeling guilty about something. Dean tended to lash out at anyone when he really just wanted to berate himself for whatever had happened. Sam had seen it all the time when they were kids and something had happened that Dean blamed himself for—even if it wasn't his fault.

The worst part was that Sam knew what Dean felt guilty about—the accident. Dean probably thought that if he hadn't been driving, Sam would still be able to see. Never mind the fact that it could have been Corey, Kelly, or Sam in Dean's place. And despite the fact that the crash had obviously NOT been an accident, Sam knew that his older brother would never forgive himself for what had happened.

xxxxxxxxxxx

Cordelia Monica Adler was no stranger to pain. Because of her lupus, joint and muscle pain was incredibly common and the chest pain that accompanied the inflammation of the sacs around her heart and lungs sometimes made her feel like she wanted to die.

Given all that, the pain from her broken leg was manageable.

But the pain in her back was excruciating.

Corey had woken up feeling like there were golf ball sized knots in her back and even the slightest movements made her back feel like she was being stabbed.

The worst part was that the doctors weren't sure whether or not she'd be able to walk again. They kept saying that it was likely that she'd recover…that the odds were good…that the spinal fractures were incomplete which meant a greater chance at recovery.

But no one was certain and Corey wondered if maybe the doctors were just trying to be optimistic instead of just being honest.

It wasn't fair. 48 hours ago, she'd been happy. She was engaged to Dean and she was looking forward to as wonderful a life as someone with lupus could hope for. Now she was in the hospital with her leg broken, in a back and neck brace because her back was broken in two places, and wondering if she would end up in a wheelchair for the rest of her life.

"I remember sitting with you after your first bad lupus flare," Casey said as she entered her sister's room and sat carefully on the bed so her twin could see her without moving her head. "I was really scared cause you were having trouble breathing and the ER docs had to intubate you." Putting a hand on her sister's arm, she smiled warmly. "I was scared I was gonna lose you."

"Case, what if…?" Corey didn't want to say what she was thinking, especially when she looked at the engagement ring on her finger. Would Dean still marry her if she couldn't walk? But the strangest part was, her own voice answered her. _"Of course Dean will still marry you. Because you still wanted to be with him even when his legs started to go."_ "What if…?"

Casey didn't need to hear the end of the sentence. She knew what Corey was thinking and she'd be lying if she wasn't worried about the exact same thing. "Corey, you're my sister and I love you. And I don't care if you can walk or not. Neither does Dean. I mean… the guy loves you so much."

"Yeah, I know," Corey replied, thinking of how much Dean had been there for her—especially even when he found out about her illness. Changing the subject, she asked, "What about you?"

Casey shrugged. "Well, I'm on leave for a couple weeks. And my CO is going to try and get me stationed closer to home while you're recovering." After a while, she added, "And listen, Cor… I know I've been gone a lot. But we're gonna deal with this together, okay? No matter what happens."

Since her neck was immobilized, Corey couldn't nod, so she gave her twin a half-hearted smile and put her hand on her sister's.

xxxxxxxxxxx

While Jenny Sheppard interviewed a couple of the other nurses about Ruby Dawes, John Winchester went to see his sons. As he'd expected, Dean was eager to leave the hospital, despite the fact that he was missing both legs. The doctors were saying it would be 8 weeks to 2 months before Dean could be fitted for prosthetics so he could start physical therapy and that was only because of the shattered elbow.

Sam was practically glue to his brother's side and had seemed oddly accepting of the loss of his vision. But the more John thought about it, the less strange it seemed. The boys had always been like that. Even if both Sam and Dean were injured, whoever had the less severe injury would look after the more badly hurt brother. In this situation, that meant that even though Sam was blind, he still had to look out for his big brother.

After a couple hours, John started to head back down to the ER where Jen was talking to the nurses and doctors when he heard a lilting voice behind him.

"Looking for me, Johnnie?"

Turning, John saw Ruby standing there looking surprisingly nonchalant. Without saying a word, he pulled back his sports jacket just enough so that the demon could see the Colt in his shoulder holster. Nodding in the direction of an empty room, John waited until Ruby went in first and then followed, closing the door and locking it and closing the blinds before withdrawing the Colt and aiming it at the demon's head. "You've got 10 seconds to tell me why you did this to my sons before I blow your pretty blonde brains out," John said, coldly.

But Ruby wasn't about to be intimidated. On the contrary, she seemed pissed that John was even attempting to threaten her. "Believe it or not, I _saved_ your boys—and their girlfriends."

John cocked the gun and glared at the demon. "You cost Dean _both_ his legs, blinded my son, broke Corey's leg and back, and made Kelly lose her whole arm. You call that saving?" He wanted to pull the trigger so bad. He wanted to kill this demonic bitch who had hurt his sons. But there was something in the young woman's eyes that made him pause, even though his first instinct was to pull the trigger.

Ruby sighed, having some sympathy for John. "You think the demons stopped being interested in you because you snuffed out old Yellow Eyes? Wrong. There's another demon out there—even more powerful than Azazel. Her name is Lilith. And trust me—she would have just killed Dean and the girls without a second thought. She wants Sam and she'll do whatever it takes to get him."

John took that in and slowly lowered his gun. What he was about to do went against every fiber of his being, but if this other demon was as bad as Ruby was saying, he'd do anything to keep his boys safe. "I'll make you a deal—You keep Sam and Dean _and_ their girlfriends safe and in 10 years you get me."

Ruby mentally winced at the offer. 10 years would be cutting things extremely close and she didn't trust that Alastair would have enough time to work on the senior Winchester. Knowing what she did about the man, she figured John would need at least 3 years in the pit. "5 years," she countered. "Not exactly standard, but then again, I'm not a crossroads demon." There—that should be enough time down in the pit for John Winchester to give in to the tortures of Hell.

John hesitated for only a moment as he considered the deal. 10 years was the norm for demonic deals and the fact that this demon wanted him in 5 should have raised warning flags. But the desire to save his sons took over and before his common sense could kick in, he said, "Deal."


	8. Chapter 8

AUTHOR'S NOTES: So I'd meant to post this the other day but the site admins finally called me on my non-stories and suspended my account for a few days. No big, I'd forgotten about them anyway and they have since been removed.

Now as for updates-I'm putting together my notes for the next story in my 'Family Ties' series but I NEED A TITLE! Help me?

As for 'Seek, and Ye Shall Find', I'm planning an update by Monday. I'm also going through season 2 of SPN for possible chapter ideas for 'I'm Here For You'hopefully soon I'll be able to make an update on that story as well.

* * *

><p>Chapter 8<p>

As he watched from the observation room, Gibbs' expression was stony as he listened to Roberta 'Ruby' Dawes confess to smashing into Sam, Dean, Kelly, and Corey before further injuring Kelly and Sam. The nurse was calm, collected, and unemotional as she described the crash and following events.

He didn't like it. Not one bit. And for once Gibbs didn't need his gut to tell him that something was all wrong with the girl's motive. Ruby was claiming that she had some sort of perverted crush on Sam and when she saw him and Kelly together at the track meet, she snapped.

No, this was all wrong.

After a moment, Gibbs went to the interrogation room and once Jenny Sheppard had left, Gibbs stopped the voice recorder and unplugged the camera before sitting down. "Interesting little story you told my agent."

"What story?" Ruby said, innocently. "It's the truth."

"Not all of it," Gibbs countered, giving the nurse a look. "What are you?"

Ruby smiled wickedly and even though Gibbs didn't show it, she knew that she'd gotten to him. Blinking, she let her eyes go black for a second before letting them go back to normal. "You're smarter than the average fed," she noted, approvingly. She leaned back in her chair and studied Gibbs for a moment. "Make me a deal," she said, her tone somewhat seductive. "And I'll tell you whatever you want to know."

"No deals," Gibbs said, quickly. He didn't know a lot about demons but he knew enough not to make a deal with a demon. And his gut told him that this demon in particular was especially no good.

"Fine," Ruby snapped, annoyed that Gibbs wasn't rising to the bait. "You want the truth? Here it is—There's a big boss demon named Lilith who wants Sam Winchester to lead the forces of Hell. She's willing to kill anyone that gets in her way—including Sam's brother, girlfriend, and Dean's sweet little fiancée."

Gibbs was doing his best not to react to that news, but he didn't like the idea of a demon gunning for his daughter. "And this demon ordered you to try and the Winchester boys, Corey Adler and my daughter?" Gibbs guessed. But his gut told him that it was more than that.

"Lilith wanted them out of the way so she could start making plans," Ruby replied. "She told me to kill everyone except Sam. But I couldn't do it. So I made sure that your daughter and the others would have more to worry about than me." After a while, she added, "Here's my deal."

"No deals," Gibbs repeated, his gaze cold.

"You may want to hear what I have to say before you refuse," Ruby countered. Her tone made it clear that Gibbs should listen and the demon suppressed a smile when she saw that the NCIS agent was indeed giving her his full attention. "Here's my offer," she said, calmly. "You let me go. I say I was being forced to hurt Sam, Dean, Corey, and Kelly and I keep Lilith off everyone's tail."

"That's not a deal," Gibbs snapped.

But Ruby wasn't to be deterred. She couldn't start working on Sam if she was in prison which was where she knew Gibbs wanted to stick her. Deciding to take a risk and put all of her cards on the table, she explained. "Sam Winchester was infected with demon blood when he was a baby. Something that will eventually give him some very useful powers in the future. Lilith would be only to happy to just kidnap Sam and make sure he's on a steady demon blood diet until he's more monster than human. This puts him in the crosshairs of demons _and_ hunters. You keep me out of jail and I keep Sam and company alive and safe. If you lock me up, I can't protect anyone."

* * *

><p>Most demons like using adults as meat suits because it allowed for more access to people and places.<p>

But innocent little girls were welcomed anywhere.

Thus the reason why Lilith loved possessing children. Once she took over, they were far too weak to fight back and she could make them do the most horrific things. And even more than taking over children, she loved possessing sick kids.

It was such delicious torture to watch the parents of some dying little girl praying uselessly over their child before taking over the small body. Lilith loved the way the parents wept with joy, and she sometimes laughed right out loud when the parents thanked God for the miracle.

And then Lilith would make the children hurt the ones they loved—their mommies and daddies and anyone else who got in her way. Sometimes she would show what she called 'mercy' and just free herself from the child and take in the parents' misery as they watched their formerly healthy kid die a slow, painful death. She saw the conflicting emotions on faces as they thought about the time with their daughters and the bloody murders those daughters committed.

It was torture of the most wonderful kind. You didn't always have to resort to physically hurting someone. Sometime mind games were far more effective and much more fun.

But as she hid within the body of a 13-year-old girl named Darcy, Lilith had other things on her mind.

Darcy was fun, though… The girl had been sick with incredibly aggressive cancer for almost her entire life and in the past 8 years, the disease had slowly taken away bits and pieces of her life.

When the young girl was 5, a tumor in her brain made her go blind.

Then she'd lost a fair portion of her liver and lung when the cancer metastasized.

Now because of additional tumors, Darcy was breathing through a tracheostomy tube and she had her meals through an IV bag since surgeons had had to remove part of her stomach.

The doctors had given Darcy a few weeks and her parents were just hoping the passing would be quick.

That had been a month and a half ago.

But once Lilith had possessed Darcy, she didn't use her typical demon powers to heal the girl—instead, Lilith just kept the child from dying, watching the anguish on the faces of Darcy's parents as their only little girl continued to live in pure misery.

"_Please… just let me die,"_ Darcy's voice begged inside Lilith's head. _"I can't take this any more. Just let me go."_

Inside, Lilith smiled. Once she knew the girl's mom and dad were down in the cafeteria, she quickly let go of Darcy, and went in search of a new body and Ruby.

Finding both in the room of Claire Maxwell, Lilith took over the girl before giving Ruby a smile. "I thought the police were holding you under arrest," Lilith said with a smile before letting her eyes roll over white for a moment.

Ruby sighed. The last thing she wanted right now was to deal with the Queen of All Demons, but she should have expected it. "It's amazing what parents will do to protect their kids," she replied, simply.

But that response only served to anger Lilith. "I don't want Sam protected by his friends! I want him under _our_ control!" She couldn't believe that Ruby was risking the entire plan like this! "His brother… his girlfriend… They were meant to _die_."

"And what good does Dean do us dead?" Ruby countered. "The angels want him alive just as much as we want Sam alive."

That Lilith couldn't argue with. She knew Heaven's plan for the older Winchester and she knew that the angels would _not_ let Dean die easily. "Do you have a plan?"

Ruby smiled and shrugged lightly. "We wait and try to nudge the Winchesters apart when we can."

It was a bad plan. There were too many variables and without Sam being a hunter—without the supernatural driving a wedge between him and his family—the odds of Ruby or any other demons pulling Sam down into the darkness were slim.

But it was a plan that would just have to work. There was no other option at this point.

"If you try and mess this plan up," Lilith promised. "—I will make sure you spend the rest of your life in the cage with Lucifer." When Ruby stiffened as that prospect sank in, she added, "And I will personally have Alastair invited to the party."

Ruby didn't say anything to that but she knew that her boss was dead serious.

* * *

><p>In the basement of his house, Gibbs was methodically working away at the boat frame that took up most of the space. Normally the work was cathartic, but tonight, his mind and his gut kept nagging at him.<p>

Ruby should never have gotten off for what she'd done and it had taken an entire rewriting of her confession to come up with something that would be believable at trial.

The Adlers were near furious that the person who'd severely injured their daughter had not been arrested but Gibbs and John had explained the situation as best they could—trying to keep the supernatural elements to a minimum, even though Corey already knew a little about the whole demons, monsters, and ghosts thing.

He'd just compromised NCIS—not to mention himself—and put John and Jenny at risk of losing their jobs and the whole mess made Gibbs' gut squirm.

Tossing his tools on the workbench, he sat down on one of the saw horses and after a few moments, he grabbed the bottle of bourbon on the table and opened it, pouring some into an empty mason jar.

The doctors were planning on releasing Sam Winchester from the hospital the following day and two days later, Kelly would be cleared to go home. But Sam was looking at a difficult road ahead even though he was already working with one of the occupational therapists at the hospital. Life would be hard for him now—even harder if Ruby was telling the truth about Sam's future.

And the more Gibbs thought about his daughter, the more he wanted to just crawl into the bottle of bourbon and never leave. He wasn't a serious drinker, but lately he'd thought about becoming one.

The image of Kelly's missing arm was burned into his mind and he knew that the scars on her face would never fully heal. His little girl had grown up with only one goal for her future—to become a Marine. The scars would never have been an obstacle but the missing arm was…

In her hospital room, Kelly had apologized for disappointing him and Gibbs had insisted that he was just happy she was alive.

But thinking of Kelly again drew Gibbs' thoughts to Ruby and the deal he'd made with her.

Assuming that the demon was able to keep her boss at bay, he still had no idea of what might happen to Kelly, Corey, Sam, and Dean in general. And what did Kelly have to do with the whole thing anyway?

That was the other part that was setting off Gibbs' gut. If there was some supernatural plot and Sam and Dean were involved then it made sense to hurt them. But Corey and Kelly had been innoscent bystanders. And more to the point, why did Ruby further attack Kelly and not Corey? And why would a demon injure Sam worse if he was so important to them?

There were too many questions and things to figure out and covering up the situation…

The 'official' story was that Ruby Dawes was an undercover private investigator who had received a tip that someone was trying to kill the kids and she'd tried to stop the assassin and had accidentally hit Corey's car.

Abby'd had a field day trying to make her evidence report fit the official one and it was only when Gibbs and John had divulged some of the more paranormal aspects of the whole mess that she had actually agreed to go along with it.

Finishing his drink, Gibbs wished he was tired enough to get some sleep but he knew as long as his mind and gut were keeping him away, sleep would be out of the question.

With that thought in mind, he refilled his glass and again picked up his tools before turning back to the boat, grateful that at least the wood always made sense to him.


	9. Chapter 9

AUTHOR'S NOTES: God Bless Google!

I have to admit that most of my work on this chapter was spent on Google looking up images and doing research for whole-arm amputation which—BTW—is technically known as shoulder disarticulation. I didn't know that.

I know I probably went a little too technical with this chapter and if you have questions… Google. I only sound smart on paper.

Chapter 9

* * *

><p>Jethro Gibbs wasn't alone in the sleepless father group lately.<p>

Although money was never an issue for the Adlers, Nora and Victor still worked. Nora helped run Safe Haven, a school and shelter for homeless kids and families. In addition, she headed up almost 5 different charities for everything from food banks to helping abuse victims.

Victor, on the other hand, had decided to use his degrees in medicine and engineering to work on developing new prosthetics for amputees.

In what he called his lab—which resembled an combination of Q's laboratory from the 'James Bond' movies and a medical library—at the Wilder Lansky Research Hospital, Victor looked at the latest designs for artificial arms. It was late—after midnight—but he just couldn't sleep.

The main problem Kelly Gibbs was facing was that her arm was missing at the shoulder. Without any part of the limb remaining, it meant that most of the standard prosthetics wouldn't work. But lately Victor had been experimenting with a new procedure, called intraosseous transcutaneous amputation prosthesis, or ITAP which involved encouraging an amputee's tissue to fuse with a titanium rod fitted into the bone. So far with testing, the procedure seemed to do away with the need for the cumbersome straps and sockets normally associated with prosthesis, as well as avoid the infection and pressure sores that had occurred with his previous attempts to fuse metal and bone.

But how to adapt the procedure for someone one with a complete shoulder disarticulation was proving to be the toughest challenge Victor had ever faced.

"Burning the midnight oil, Doc?"

Victor looked up to see his research partner, Jefferson Hadley coming into the development lab. "Hey, Jeff. Yeah, I-I'm just trying to figure out how to help Kelly."

"The potential sister-in-law of your future son-in-law?" Jeff replied with a smile. He looked over Victor's shoulder at the design drawings and pulled a stool over and clearing the light table which exposed a double-sized full x-ray of a human skeleton.

The table had been Victor's idea because it could be used as a better visual for new designs. Victor pointed at the left shoulder as he said, "Full shoulder disarticulation after a complete dislocation. Kelly's circulation was cut off for 12 continuous hours and the swelling made things even worse."

"But the rest of the shoulder is intact?" Jeff asked, thoughtfully. When Victor nodded, Jeff pointed to the joint on the x-ray before picking up the papers Victor had been studying before. "So… the idea is a shoulder ITAP?"

Nodding, Victor looked at his partner. "What do you think? Will it work? We've done the designs and prototypes but so far that's just with partial amputations."

Jeff studied the designs as he thought. It was a brilliant idea on paper but would it actually work? "Okay… Let's get a prototype going. We'll go from there, although…"

Victor looked at Jeff expectantly. "Although what?"

"We need to examine Kelly directly," Jeff replied. "X-rays, at least."

Nodding in agreement, Victor looked at the work one last time. "Okay, we'll meet at the hospital in the morning?"

Watching his partner stack up the papers, Jeff found himself suddenly curious about something. "So what is it about Kelly Gibbs that you want to do this for her? I mean, I know this is our specialty and all, but…"

Victor stood and shrugged. "Shannon told me that Kelly has wanted to be a Marine since she was 4 years old. The kid shouldn't have to give up that dream just because she's missing her arm."

"I'm behind you on that," Jeff nodded.

* * *

><p>Tess Montgomery had seen her fair share of patients in the 20-some years she'd been an occupational therapist at the hospital. And even though she always tried to remain positive and encouraging with her patients, working with kids always got to her.<p>

What was worse was that typically kids seemed to fight her more often than adults. Plus the fact that kids always worried about how they'd be received once they returned to school. Would their friends be there to support them or abandon them? Add to that the fact that disabilities such as blindness and deafness were so entirely life-changing and impacted not only the lives of Tess's patients, but their families as well.

When Tess had been assigned Sam Winchester, she'd expected that he'd fight her and insist he could figure things out on his own. But instead, Sam just patiently let her show him about getting around using the long white cane, counting steps into rooms or up and down stairs, and making sure that items were very precisely organized.

And the most surprising thing of all was just how quickly Sam picked up on everything. Tess had only to go few a few things repeatedly before the teenager caught on. It was amazing.

But even as the therapist commented on his progress, Sam didn't reply. As much as he hated to admit it, he knew that it was his father's constant lessons of repetition that had helped him catch on to what Tess was showing him.

After a few more hours of going through things, Tess started to lead Sam back to his room when he asked, "Can we stop by Kelly Gibbs' room first? Please?"

"Missing your girlfriend?" Tess asked as they entered the elevator. When Sam remained silent, she said, "I really think you're going to be okay, Sam. You're obviously not going to have many challenges getting around and if you pick up Braille even half as well as everything else, I don't think your disability will be much of a hindrance at all."

As much as Sam had been hearing the word 'disability' lately, it still grated like nails on a chalk board. Especially considering that he wasn't the only one. Dean would have to learn to walk with two prosthetic legs and from what he'd heard, Corey still had no motor function below her waist.

And then there was Kelly. No one really wanted to go into detail about what had happened to her with was the main reason Sam wanted to check on his girlfriend. As he went into Kelly's room, he smiled as he approached the bed. "How are you?"

"Fine, I guess," Kelly replied as Sam sat on the edge of her bed. She made sure she was sitting up as much as possible since it lessened the pressure on her what was left of her shoulder.

Sam reached out a hand towards Kelly and when he felt her flinch when his fingertips brushed the stitches on her face, he pulled his hand back. "Sorry," he said, quietly. But after a moment or two, he felt Kelly take his hand and slowly bring it up to her face. Sam traced the cuts and lines of stitches and he felt a pang of heartbreak. But as Sam started to pull her into a hug, he paused when he felt the absence of Kelly's arm.

Kelly turned away, even though she knew that Sam couldn't see her. "I look horrible," she muttered.

"Little lip gloss might help," Sam said with a smile. When Kelly scoffed, he pulled her towards him and after a little experimenting found her lips. "I still think you're gorgeous," he assured her. "And I know that you're not going to let this—" Sam indicated Kelly's missing arm. "—keep you from your life."

"Not too many one-armed Marines out there," Kelly countered, dismally.

Her statement made Sam think and after a few moments he asked, "Why do you want to be a Marine?"

The question caught Kelly off-guard a bit and for the first time in years, she actually thought about it. It had always been her goal in life, but thinking about the 'why' she paused. She remembered being 5 years old and telling her father that she wanted to be a Marine just like him. She wanted to fight bad guys and help make the country safe.

But why did she really want to join the Corps? Was it because she wanted to be like her father or did she really want to be part of what the Marines stood for?

"I want to help keep this country free," Kelly said at last. "I want to make the world a little better and I want to help others do that, too."

Sam nodded, thoughtfully. "So why not become an instructor? Or you could do communications or intelligence… linguistics." Hearing footsteps getting closer, Sam asked, "Is someone coming?"

"Yeah," Kelly said, a little confused as Corey's father and another man entered the room. "Hi, Mr. Adler."

"Hi, Kelly," Victor replied, warmly. Gesturing to his partner, he said. "This is Dr. Jefferson Hadley. He works with me at the R&D lab."

Sam stood and gestured to the door. "I-I'll just wait outside."

Kelly started to nod, but as she remembered that Sam couldn't see her, she said, "Uh, Sam? My mom's at the nurse's station about—" She took a moment to mentally calculate the route and then went on. "30 feet to the left as you leave the room. If you could go get her?"

With a quick nod, Sam left the room and headed off.

Victor pulled a chair over while Jeff pulled out the x-ray of Kelly's shoulder. "I might have some good news for you," Victor began, his tone cautiously optimistic. Glancing briefly at the door as Shannon came in followed by Sam, he went on after turning back to Kelly. "Jeff and I have been experimenting with new procedures for amputees and there's a procedure that we might be able to adapt to help you."

"What kind of procedure?" Shannon asked as she stood on the other side of her daughter's bed.

Jeff held up the x-ray and outlined the plan. "We would essentially rebuild Kelly's entire arm at the shoulder, starting with a titanium joint connected to a shaft which would be connected to the rest of the prosthesis. Using a microprocessor and very fine connections wires, we should be able to give you a new arm."

Kelly didn't know what to say to that. It sounded kind of like something out of 'Star Wars'. But if it worked, she'd have her arm back. Nodding, she looked at Jeff and and Victor and said, eagerly, "Let's do it."

"Well, now wait a moment," Shannon interjected, quickly, looking at the two doctors. "This sounds a little farfetched. I don't want to get my daughter's hopes up just to have this idea flop."

But Kelly bristled at that and said, "Mom, what's the worst that could happen? At the least I'm no worse off than I was before." Looking at her mother with a lightly pleading look, she added, "Best case—I get my arm back."

Shannon hated to say it, but there was a very small part of her that had hoped that the injury would keep Kelly from enlisting. It was selfish of her, but she didn't want her only little girl fighting with the Marines.

But like father, like daughter and Shannon also knew that the more she fought against it, the more it would push Kelly towards the Corps. Besides, there were a few areas of the Marines and Navy that wouldn't necessarily require fighting and that would only encourage Kelly to pursue her goals.

"Okay," Shannon said, after a long pause. "Let's go through exactly how this would work."


	10. Chapter 10

AUTHOR'S NOTES: So I know that this chapter is on the short side, but next chapter will be much longer since it will have a major jump to the start of Sam and Kelly's junior year of high school. I will be putting in plenty of back story which will hopefully answer any questions.

Chapter 10

* * *

><p>Two weeks later, Kelly once again found herself waking up from surgical anesthetic. She moaned lightly and after a while, she slowly opened her eyes to see her parents standing by the bed. "Déjà vu," she muttered, turning her head to look at her left shoulder which was obscured by the slightly bulky bandage. "How'd it go?" she asked, sitting up a bit.<p>

Shannon gave her daughter an encouraging smile as she reported, "They put in the artificial joint and the first part of the shaft that'll be the upper part of your humerus."

Kelly nodded, looking again at her shoulder. Remembering what Dr, Adler had said the previous week about the procedure for her prosthetic, she resisted the urge to try and move her shoulder. It would be about a week before she'd really have enough of an arm to test mobility and even then it would likely be another year or more before she'd have enough control of her new limb to sign up for the Marine Corps.

"Get some rest," Gibbs said gently as Kelly slowly lay back down. "It's not over yet."

No, it wasn't, Kelly thought as she closed her eyes. Tomorrow, she would be having surgery again, but this time it would be to help lessen the appearance of the scars on her face. The worst scar was the one that started at her temple, curved very close to her right eye, and finally wound down her cheek and across her chin, ending in an upward turn just shy of her lower lip. The other scar started in the middle of her hairline on her forehead, curving down the left side of her nose and ending at the side of her mouth.

The third scar was the one the surgeons were most worried about, especially because it cut across her left eye and down her cheek. The depth of the lacerations, combined with the location of the cut meant that there was a higher risk of damage to Kelly's eye and facial nerves.

When Kelly finally fell asleep, Shannon tucked her little girl in before looking at her husband. "I'll stay with her tonight."

But Gibbs shook his head resolutely. "Go home, Shannon. I'll stay. John and Jenny are already in Paris. NCIS will be fine without me for a day."

Shannon looked dubious at that but nodded, giving Gibbs a kiss on the cheek before she headed out of the room.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

Dean was beyond bored.

For the past three weeks he'd been stuck in a hospital bed and he was bored out of his mind. The only breaks in the monotony lately were when Corey's father—Dr. Victor Adler—came in to get him fitted for leg prosthetics.

At first, though, Dean had been reluctant to the idea since he wasn't sure if he'd even be able to walk given that before the accident his lower leg muscles had been getting weaker by the day.

But the doctors had run tests the past week and found that the muscles of Dean's upper legs were just fine if only slightly atrophied given that it had been so long since Dean had been walking.

"Dean, Dean, Dean…" Victor said with a huge smile as he walked into the room with two large cases. "How'd you like to get up for a bit?" Catching Dean's astonished look, he shrugged as he opened one of the cases revealing a brand new titanium prosthetic leg ending in what looked like a generic foot shape put into an athletic sneaker. "I spoke to your doctors and while they wanted to wait until your arm healed up, I don't see why we have to wait."

Dean looked shocked at that and looked from his future father-in-law to the cast Dean still wore on his arm which was resting in a sling. He hated admitting—even to himself—that he felt nervous about walking again. Before the accident, he'd just started getting used to the idea that his legs were going. In fact, only days before his regular doctor had told him that he'd probably be in a wheelchair by the end of summer.

But now there was the very real possibility that not only would Dean be walking sooner than expected but he would be doing so—hopefully—without braces and/or crutches. "Let's do it," he said at last.

"Alright," Victor said, still smiling. He watched as Dean carefully sat up and moved so that he was sitting with what was left of his legs hanging over the edge of the bed. After running through the procedure of putting on and removing the prosthetics, Victor helped Dean get both legs on and then stood on the young man's right side. "Ready for this?"

"Not exactly," Dean confessed as he carefully stood, holding onto Victor's arm with his good hand. It took a minute or two to find his balance and after he didn't feel so shaky, Dean took a step forward.

"Just go slow," Victor advised, watching Dean closely. The particular model of prosthetics Dean was using was brand new and had been designed for high impact use. The only downside was that Dean would be the first person to be using them for the long run. But the upside would be that since Victor was essentially using Dean as a test subject, he wouldn't have to worry about the cost of the prosthetics. Rather, Victor would be able to pay Dean for giving feedback on the new legs.

After nearly an hour of just walking around the room and practicing sitting and standing, Dean felt much more comfortable in the prosthetics. It was hard judging how his footsteps sometimes, but the more he walked, the easier it got. And after almost two hours—including walking down the hospital hallway—Dean hardly needed Victor's arm for support.

Once back in the hospital bed, Dean was surprised at how tired he felt. After removing the prosthetics, he felt ready for a long nap.

"You know," Victor commented as he packed the prosthetics up in their respective cases, leaving them next to the bed where Dean could reach them. "—I've never seen someone as driven as you before."

Dean laughed at that and shrugged. "My whole life I've had one main job—looking out for my little brother. With Sammy being blind, I just feel like every day I'm in this bed is one more chance for something to happen to him. It's my job to protect him."

Victor could certainly understand that and after promising to see Dean later that evening in the physical therapy room, he headed out of Dean's room and headed down the hallway to his daughter's room. Casey, Nora, and Shannon were all sitting around Corey's bed and looking at various wedding magazines. "Am I interrupting?"

"Just doing a little wedding planning," Nora replied, standing up and going to her husband and giving him a kiss on the cheek. Turning to Corey, she said, "I've got a charity auction tonight, honey, but I can stay if you want me to."

Corey shook her head. She knew that tonight's auction was to help raise money for Safe Haven so the school could add another dormitory and library—something they'd been short on for nearly a year resulting in the waiting lists getting longer. "Go, Mom. Bid on something for me."

Nora bent down and kissed her daughter's cheek as well. "Okay, sweetie. I'll have my phone on so if you need anything, just call. And I'll be back as soon as I can."

Shannon followed Nora out of the room and Victor took his wife's place next to Corey's bed. "So how're you doing, hon?" he asked, looking at Corey's back brace and broken leg.

Corey tried to shrug, but the brace hindered her. "I'm okay, I guess," she sighed, dismally. Which wasn't true at all, really. She still couldn't move her legs and her left leg hurt. Not wanting to get into her own issues, she asked, "How're Kelly and Dean?"

Victor knew that the question was a way to change the subject, but he let it go for the moment. "Well, we took care of the first part of Kelly's prosthetic yesterday and I just came from Dean's room. I think he'll be ready to go sooner than expected."

Looking at the cast on her left leg and the back brace, Corey replied, "Guess I have some catching up to do, huh?"

Casey squeezed her twin's hand and grinned. "Yeah, we've got to get you ready to be married next year, right?"

"Right," Corey said, resolutely. Looking at the ring on her left hand she reminded herself yet again that even if she was in a wheelchair, Dean would still love her just as much.

But the words would have meant more if they'd come from Dean himself rather than Corey trying to reassure herself.

xxxxxxx

That evening, as Dean practiced walking in the physical therapy room under Victor's watchful eye, he wondered if Corey was still willing to get married. Things were even more complicated now than they'd ever been and that likely wouldn't change any time soon.

"I think you and Corey need to talk," Victor said after a while as Dean sat down at the top of the practice stairs for a brief respite.

"She wants to break up, right?" Dean said, looking up at Victor.

Victor shook his head and crossed his arms as he leaned against the hand rails of the stairs. "No, but I think she's scared that you want to," he replied, simply. "Especially since she's still not able to move her legs."

Dean seemed to stiffen at that a bit and before Victor could ask what was wrong, Dean carefully stood, his good hand holding onto the rail as he slowly went down the steps. Stairs would definitely be something he would need more work on, but otherwise, he seemed to doing okay.

When he was facing Victor, Dean said, "I still want to marry your daughter. She was willing to be with me even if I couldn't walk and it doesn't matter to me if she's in a wheelchair either. I love Corey and I want her to be my wife more than anything."

x

An hour later, Dean walked into Corey's room. He'd wanted to walk from the PT room but Victor had insisted that Dean be in a wheelchair so that he wasn't doing too much since it was only the first day with the prosthetics.

Victor had, however, conceded on Dean walking into Corey's room from the hallway.

As soon as he saw her, Dean knew that Corey was ready to split up with him then and there. He could see in her eyes that the very thought was killing her and she just wanted to say it and move on. Without saying a word, Dean slowly made his way over to the bed and sat as close to Corey as he could before giving her a long, heartfelt kiss. When he pulled away, he waited until Corey's eyes met his. "Corey, I love you," he said, honestly. "I don't care if you can walk or not. I just want to be with you."

Corey couldn't say anything as she started to cry. Even after all these years, she still couldn't believe that she really had this incredible, wonderful, loving guy who loved her even though she was constantly sick and had no hair. Maybe there really was such a thing as karma and the worse the bad parts of your life were, the better the good parts.

"I just want to be with you, too," Corey said, sitting up as best she could, even though her back hurt like hell as she did so. As she kissed Dean again, she said, "I love you, Dean."

After another few minutes of making out, Dean said, "Let's stop trying to break up, okay? Obviously, it's never going to happen." He laughed and Corey laughed as well.

"Deal," Corey agreed, giving Dean one more kiss.


End file.
